Accepting the Mercers
by Forsaken x Warrior
Summary: Evelyn Mercer adopts Aya into her family, unaware of what she actually does that got her kicked out of eight foster homes in two years. Bobby tries to be patient with her, unable to stand her smartass mouth. Jeremy seems ready to watch what she does alone. Angel doesn't trust her as she disappears for longer periods of time. Jack wants to know what lies under the cold bitch shown.
1. Chapter 1

A little girl, barely eight years old, laid on the floor of her apartment that she shared with her mother. Her father had died before she was born in an accident, but the little girl barely knew the difference other than that some little girls had a father while she only had a mother. She hummed to herself absentmindedly, coloring a picture in her coloring book. She had her ratty shoes on, which matched with her messy black hair rather well, while her hazel eyes stayed focused on the paper, waiting for her mother to call so they could go to the diner where Andrea, her mother, worked.

"Come on, princess!" Andrea called and the little girl got up from her book with a heavy sigh. She wanted to stay home, but knew that she couldn't. Her mother didn't have enough money to pay for a babysitter, and damn well wasn't trusting an eight year old alone at home. The little girl grabbed her jacket and shrugged it on, feeling comfort in the warm security of her favorite piece of clothing to exist. She made sure to grab her stuffed animal, almost completely sure that she would have to sleep at the diner again when her mother went on overtime for more money.

Andrea buckled the little girl in, kissing her forehead though she was so tired. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, her once lively eyes that matched her daughter's now a dark brown that screamed fatigue and weariness. But she continued on, living with her small earnings and getting everything she could for her princess.

Hours passed, the little girl staring out the window as the sun moved through the sky and her mother doing what she always seemed to do best. The little girl became interested in what looked like an argument going on outside the shop. She noticed that they kept pointing inside the shop. "Mommy?" Andrea came at her daughter's call and looked outside. The little girl saw her mother's eyes widen before being ushered away from the window and thrown under the counter in a small space that she had been growing out of but could still fit in.

The door slammed open, screams resounding throughout the place. Andrea wasn't too far away because the little girl could see her mother's shadow as she leaned against the counter. "How do you fine boys do?" she asked, only a slight tremble in her voice.

"I think that you know," said a voice that the little girl didn't recognize. She did, however, feel shivers run up her spine at it. She was happy to have her little tiger with her, clutching it tightly as she tried so hard not to cry. "This place isn't getting us our money. And I do rather enjoy my business. Don't you, Andrea?" The little one knew that there was no way they knew her mom's name, so it had to be the name tag on her shirt.

"I do, yes. Well, let me call Tommy for you. I'm sure he would love to hear about it," Andrea said with a nervous voice.

"Yea, well, that's the funny thing," he continued. "I already talked to Tommy, but he said that he sent the money. He even gave me the pretty little waitress's name that was supposed to send it."

"I'll call up Cookie then," Andrea said, her voice tight with something the little girl had never heard in her mother's voice before. "I'm sure she meant to send it. Cookie forgets things all the time." The little held a hand over her mouth as her mother came to stand by the phone right above her. "I'm sure we can settle this all in just a few minutes."

"No," said the voice. "I don't think we can. Andrea, do you know what it's like to be cheated of money?"

Andrea laughed. "Yes, I do. I'm cheated around here all the time." The receiver was being held between Andrea's cheek and shoulder as she put in the number. "Don't worry, sir. I'm getting it now."

"No, I think we're done here already." The little one heard a rustle and mom stiffened. "You really should have known better. I know everything that happens in Detroit, Andrea. Victor, take care of her." She screamed at the same time as the gun, crying into her stuffed friend. There were other people crying, so the hazel eyed girl didn't stand out as far as that went. "Let's go. Anyone say a word about this to the police, and I will hunt you down only to kill you. It was gangsters. Here is some compensation."

The little girl stayed in her hiding spot, staring at her mother as she allowed a tear to slip out, regret so easily seen in her eyes that it hurt her daughter in the years to come. She mouthed "I'm sorry" before the little girl saw herself staring back in her mother's eyes...

"Aya. Aya. Aya!" Hazel eyes come back into focus at the snapping in her face. She flinches back slightly with a scowl. "Finally. Aya, this is Mrs. Mercer. She's looking to adopt you, but wants to talk to you first. Can you form a sentence or do we need to send you back to kindergarten?"

"I'll ask you the same thing when you're an old man in a nursing home with someone wiping your ass and can't speak three words without wheezing. You're already seventy five percent of the way there," Aya says back. She glares at him for a moment longer before he decides to take his leave. Brushing hair out of her face, the girl turns back to the old woman.

"You don't seem to get along with your social worker," the old woman comments. Aya rolls her eyes.

"Did Sherlock tell you that or are you a mind reader?"

Mrs. Mercer laughs lightly, "Well, I suppose it is pretty hard on you. How long have you been jumping around now?" Aya's mood seems to sour at this question, opting instead to glare and not say another word. "You have a record too." Mrs. Mercer pulls out papers that Aya knows is going to put a stop on the adoption. "Drug dealing, caught four times after someone outing on you. Assault, five charges of it too. Running away, twice. And a few underage drinking issues."

"If you're here to torture me about my past, then fuck off old lady. I've gotten this talk before, from the last people who wanted to adopt me. Said I was too much trouble and stopped caring altogether," Aya says, feeling rage boil up before knocking at the papers and watching them scatter all over the floor. "I got news, old lady. I don't care if you want me or not. I will do what I do, and everyone always hates me when I do what I do."

Mrs. Mercer smiles, standing up as Aya's social worker comes in, already apologizing for her behavior. "I am so sorry for any damage she has done to you. She is one of our hardest charges and will do whatever she can to make up for this-"

"The only thing you should apologize for is coming in here without the adoption papers," Mrs. Mercer says, unworried of the papers on the floor that has information on Aya. "Now get on. I'll have one of my boys come pick it up. Bobby! Come do me a favor, darling!" Aya's social worker gapes at this but stumbles out as one that Aya suspects to be around twenty walks in. "Pick these papers up for me, Bobby."

"Yes, ma," he says before getting down and picking up her records. Aya stares at him before looking away with an eye roll. "So, this is the new sister? How old are you?"

"You've got my birth certificate, so you tell me." Aya injects venom into the sentence, trying to make him go away with just her words. Bobby feels slight rage, but knows he had been her once too. "You're joking right, old lady? No one in their right mind would dare even try to adopt me. I burned down my last foster home after a week, imagine what I'll do after a month, old lady."

"Hey," Bobby warns her, his temper slightly rising as she threatens his adoptive mother. "Watch your mouth, little girl." Aya breathes heavily, attempting to calm herself down. She glares at him, disliking him already, only because hate is a word reserved for only a few people.

As her social worker comes in, Aya is ushered out of the room. She goes to her own corner, sitting across from the other three Mercers, Bobby standing up as she stole his seat. That small victory leads Aya to be somewhat content. She notices both of the white boys are staring and can't help the bite. "If you want a picture, I'll try to give you a smile. It'll last longer and prove that I can at least attempt happiness."

The one Aya doesn't know turns red and Bobby glares at her again. "Will you cut it out?"

"Cut what out, darlin'?" Aya asks innocently and in a false southern accent. It isn't hard for her as one of her only friends moved to Detroit from somewhere in Louisiana. "I'm just simply bein' a smartass."

"Why you gotta be like that?" asks one of the black boys. "Ain't no need for it here. Especially since you gotta live with us."

Aya felt a growl rumble. "I might have to live with you, but I have better things to do than sit at an old lady's house when she's probably just going to send me back here. Don't worry. I'll be out of hair soon enough." She looks to the side as her social worker comes out with his wife and Mrs. Mercer. Something brightens up in Aya at the sight of her social worker's daughter.

"Aya! Aya!" The child, only seven and everybody's friend, yells in excitement. She runs to her seat, grabbing hold of her sleeve and pulling and tugging. "Guess what, Aya! Aya, guess what!"

"I hate guessing games," Aya informs the child. "You know that, Eva." Eva bites her lip in thought for a moment, a habit she picked up from either her mother or Aya, and smiles, but this time not as bright as before. Aya feels guilt and adds, "But I guess it won't hurt once, right? I guess... You got that puppy you've been asking for for a while."

"No," Eva says with a sadness that makes Aya wish she had the money to go and buy it herself. "But it's close! I got an A on my rhyming test!" The little girl pulls out a paper and shows it to Aya. "See? See?" Aya takes the paper and looks at it. "See!"

"I see," Aya says thoughtfully, feeling a small twinge of pride. "I'll tell you what. Make an A on your spelling test for... three weeks in a row, that means this week, next week, and the week after, then you and I will go see a movie and get some ice cream. How does that sound, Eva?"

Eva smiles and gets excited all over again over it. Aya's social worker doesn't approve of Aya, but he knows that she acts right around Eva and is the only thing she could ever dream to care for. So he and his wife let her spend time with Aya as long as any other "activities" didn't involve Eva. "Eva, time to go, honey," her mother calls and Eva smiles one more time before skipping off to tell her mother all about the deal.

As soon as Eva left, Aya becomes disinterested once more. She sees this time that all of the boys are looking at her and growled. "What? It's some stupid kid that feels bad for me. Thinks I'm a charity project. Ain't nothin' interestin'." Aya glares out the window. "We leaving or not?"

"Yes, yes. Come on, boys!" Mrs. Mercer leads the way to her car, where Jack, Aya, Angel, and Jeremy all cram in the back.

"How does Bobby get the front seat?" Angel asks as he can't get comfortable. Aya growls as she tries to become smaller between the two boys. "I want the front!"

"No way," Jeremy says. "Next time, I get the front."

"How about all of you get the front and I take the back?" Aya asks with a scowl. "And _stop fidgeting!_ It's annoying me!" She brushes her hair over her shoulder and back away from his elbows, ending up closer to Jack than she wants to be. When he elbowed her again, she glares out the windshield. "That's it. I'm walking to where ever this place is. Just give some freaking directions and I will be there by nightfall."

Evelyn looks back before pulling over. "Jack, walk her home, will you? You can make a few stops if you like. I hear that Aya has been saving up some cash, but for what, Mr. Jackson doesn't know."

"And he doesn't need to know, nor do I need a babysitter, old lady," Aya says before attempting to crawl out. She brushes off her clothes before she sees the boy she had been sitting next to come out after her. "Jesus." She tries not to curse, because her real plan was no where near the Mercer household. Evelyn drives away and Aya glares at Jack.

"Don't blame me. Ma said to make sure you get home," he says, as though the victim. "I'm just following orders."

"Then go home. That or wait somewhere and I'll find you when I'm done," Aya says, walking away. "I'll be back soon enough. Got a few purchases to make. Should take around... three hours, maybe." Ha, Aya laughs at herself. More like six to get everything you want.


	2. Chapter 2

Aya had lost the Mercer boy soon enough, going down a few alleys where she had friends that would get him to back off and serve as distractions. She enters the thrift shop that a friend of hers owns, and he hands her the clothing she came for daily without hesitation. "Be careful out there, Aya," he says as she enters his office where she changes clothes.

"Always am, Pete. Thanks, really," she says, coming out as a totally different person. "You know that if you ever need anything that you only have to holler, right?" He nods. Aya had mastered her appearance, her hair now a curly blonde with blue contacts. She changed her loose jeans that hid her figure with jeans that flattered her, a black tank covering her top with a leather jacket over it. She is hot natured, so she never really gets cold. Pete hadn't even recognized her when she first showed it to him.

"I'll be waiting for you to get back. I hear you got adopted by someone. Mrs. Evelyn to be exact," Pete comments. Aya, who knows that he knows that she believes herself to be a lost cause, only raises a brow about it. "You know why she has accepted the kids she has, right?"

"Not a clue," Aya answers, leaning against the door frame. "All I know is that Bobby is either short tempered or a dick, Angel fidgets too damn much, Jeremy ain't done nothin' to annoy me, and Jack is really quiet but can stare. Mrs. Mercer is an old lady who thinks she can help me."

Pete smiles, feeling laughter bubble. "I was once like some of the other kids you see. Started with shoplifting candy then drugs. Broke and entered her house once. I didn't think she was there." He leans across the counter to talk to Aya. "Let me be honest. I wouldn't be here if she hadn't done what she did, Aya. She takes in everyone. Everyone is her kid. She just legalized it with you because she has faith that she can dig up the best in you. She can and will save you, Aya."

Aya smiles, but there's something in it that makes it look almost robotic. "That's the thing, Pete. Only one thing can save me now. And that's blood. Maybe she can save me from the aftermath, but I doubt that I'll be around long enough to let her do so." She leaves Pete there as he watches her go. He dials Evelyn's number.

"Hey, I heard you adopted another kid."

* * *

She pushes the guy against the wall, overpowering the seventeen year old, who is one year older than herself. "Tell me what you know about him! I know he hires you out for hit jobs, Gunner!" Gunner sports a black eye and swollen cheek as he glances back at her, spitting on her shoulder. She looks down in disgust before hitting him again. "I want a name, Gunner!"

"He'll kill me," Gunner chokes out, blood spilling over the corner of his mouth. "I can't tell you, girl. Don't you get it!"

"Yeah. I get that either way you're going to die," Aya says. "So, you can either die by a girl's hand like a man with no balls, or you can see if maybe I can find the guy I'm looking for before he finds you. Which would you rather?" Gunner's eyes scan the place, looking for a way out. Aya hits him again. "Which would you rather?!"

"I-I'll tell you! Alright, I'll tell you," Gunner says, spitting blood on the side. "But I'm headin' out soon after I tell you. Can't be 'round when he starts lookin' for me. No one knows his name, man. No one. Everyone calls him Bloodless, or Blood for short."

"Where do I find him?!" Aya growls.

"N-no body knows! He finds you, not the other way!" Gunner yells. "Now let me go! I gave you a name. I gotta get outta here, man."

Aya releases him, but doesn't leave without final words. "Don't pack a bag, Gunner. If I find another guy with a bit of a looser tongue who contradicts you, I'll have to decide who I want to believe. In your pocket is directions to a safe house. Lock yourself up tight and don't leave. Weeks worth of food is there. A few pills if you pop. You ain't gonna be safer if ya ain't there."

Gunner's eyes widen before he scrambles away, pulling the slip from his pocket. Aya sees his phone coming out of his pocket. "Although, it could be full of cops for all you know! Make sure to tell Bloodless that, babe!" He freezes. "So you do know more, hunh? Nice to know you're coming clean, right?" Gunner makes a run for it, but Aya didn't intend to follow him... Yet.

Aya makes her way back to the thrift shop, looking to see that it had taken two hours to find the little shit and another hour to get him alone and another hour to get him to talk and just beat the shit out of him in general. So it has been an overall of five hours since she separated from Jack. She was right about the timing for the most part.

When she enters the shop, Aya grabs her bag and goes into the office, shutting the door and stripping off her jacket and tank top. She pulls of the blond wig and lets her black, straight hair fall down her back to her waist before pulling it into a bun. Taking out the contacts and swapping jeans before putting on her big jacket, Aya made sure she didn't miss a detail before exiting the office.

"Evelyn called," Pete says as she walks out. "Actually, I did. We're talking about the same Evelyn Mercer, so I wanna strike a deal." He put down what he was doing and looks her in the eye. "You get in trouble and come running to me, you call Evelyn and tell her everything. _Everything._ Because I know that your file doesn't say shit about what the real you. I didn't tell her that I know you though."

"Okay, Pete. Deal struck. But, can you pay attention to the word on the streets for a Bloodless? Sometimes goes by Blood." Aya looked at the time. "Might as well get back. If I don't, Jack Mercer might tattle on me for running off and not showing up for hours."

"Jack Mercer is next door in the music shop, so be careful about what you say. He might decide to come in here," Pete chuckles as Aya rolls her eyes. "At least try with Evelyn, Aya. She has taken the worst kids that system has seen and made them into more than dead men or prison mates. She's the sweetest woman on the solar system."

Aya holds a calculating look in her hazel eyes before shrugging. Pete sighs of relief, knowing that this answer is no where near negative. "I'll see ya, Pete." She waves before going next door, looking for the Mercer. She finds him with a few guys surrounding him. The only worker in the store pays no attention to this as they push Jack around. Aya sits back to watch.

Jack just gets more mad with the minutes, and Aya feel him come closer to snapping with each taunt and each push. Before he does anything though, Aya steps in and punches one of the five guys. "Hey, cowards. How about you try finding another group to go fight with? Ponyboy in _The Outsiders_ had more balls than you lot."

One of the other boys decides that Aya isn't much a threat and his hormones turn all the way on. "You wanna check on that somewhere a bit more private?" Aya smirks, grabbing his nuts painfully.

"Or I can make them even less than they are now. I hear that getting you balls squeezed off isn't too bad. Let's test that," she says before letting go to block a fist. "Jack, do me a favor and go next door to get Pete. He's a big guy and this son of a bitch isn't fighting me any time soon." Jack stares at her for a moment. "Go, Jack!"

Instead of going to get Pete, Jack stands next to her instead. "How about I help you out instead of leave you to their mercy?" Aya growls before grabbing his shirt and lowering him so she can talk in his ear.

"I have a lot of anger right now. I am very frustrated, so unless you want to see me angry, go. Get. Pete. Tell him Aya needs him, and he'll be here as soon as he fucking can. Go." Aya pushes him towards the door in time for one of them to take a shot. She ducks, kicking his legs out from under him as Jack runs out. She's distracted by the dinging bell long enough for one to get a hit in her stomach. It hits her right in the spot that she has a scar from a previous encounter that hasn't fully healed.

Next thing Aya knows is that she's on the ground, hits coming in from everywhere. "Not so tough now, huh bitch?"

"You wouldn't be near as tough if you were alone," she grits out, biting her lips until she tastes blood. She takes a hit to the head and hears the door open. Aya doesn't know how much time passes, but when she comes back, all of the boys are gone and Jack Mercer is sitting in front of her.

"I'm fine," Aya says, ignoring Jack as he holds a hand out to stand up. She hisses in pain as the feeling in her torso, kneeling down on one knee. She brushes away Jack's hand again. "I'm fine, Mercer. Just because I took a few hits for you doesn't mean that we can be buddy buddy now. I still think that Evelyn will give me right back to the system."

"Quit being difficult, Aya," Pete says, forcing her to her feet before handing her to Jack. "Make sure she gets home. Don't let her take more than five steps on her own, and ask Evelyn to check for concussion. Aya can take care of the rest. Don't tell the other boys unless Aya tells you to do so. Realize that these are the rules when dealing with anything that has to do with Aya."

"Shut up, Pete," Aya mutters, coughing into her hand before hiding it. "I don't like getting beat up any more that you like seeing me beat up. I know it breaks your heart. I can walk on my own anyway, Mercer." Aya moves forward six steps before the floor begins rushing up at her and everything goes out with curses being the last thing she hears.

* * *

Aya wakes with blurry vision, but it's obvious to even her that it's nighttime. She's being dragged, and her feet are scraping against the pavement as someone tries to hold her upright. Aya tries to put weight on her feet, one hand tapping on the shoulder of who is currently carrying him. "Where am I?"

"We're almost home. You passed out back in the music store," he said, swallowing thickly. "It started getting dark and Pete was still busy so I carried you from there to about a block back. You began moving and making it difficult, so here we are."

"Jack, I can walk," Aya says as it comes back. "Let me go, Jack."

"I let you walk six steps and you collapsed, Aya. As Pete says, quit being difficult." Aya takes this moment to study Jack Mercer in the moonlight. She tries not to notice too much, because he certainly is hot. She just isn't sure if she wants to accept help from him, not wanting to give a damn and not wanting for anyone in this family to get hurt again because of her.

"We have another block and we'll be there," Jack says, attracting her attention. "Do you want to walk some?"

"I've only been asking since I woke up," Aya replies with an eye roll. Jack sets her down, and she takes a moment to gather her balance. She steps forward and goes off at the same pace as Jack, feeling light headed but unwilling to slow down because she's a little dizzy. Ha, she laughed at herself again. More like a lot dizzy.

"C'mon, this is it," Jack says, Aya having been too preoccupied with keeping her vision straight to notice that they had walked the rest of the block left. She goes up the steps, nearly tripping on the last one. She looks up as light spills onto the porch that isn't the outside light.

"Ma, we're home." Aya stands up again, holding onto Jack as she goes toward the door. "We sorta got in a fight at the music store and she kinda took 'em all on at once. Pete said to check for concussion." Aya feels someone else's hand fill hers, leading her somewhere. "Is she gonna be alright?"

"She took a hard kick to the head alright. Lucky enough that she doesn't have a concussion, but she will feel light headed for the next week. Dizziness will last a few days," Evelyn notifies Jack. "All in all, she'll be fine."

"Thanks, Mrs. Mercer," Aya mumbles, standing up. "I'm going to go crash somewhere. Not literally, but you know what I mean." Aya stands up too quickly and falls back into Jack. "Sorry."

"No sorry is needed. You'll take one of our beds, right, guys?" Aya looks to the doorway where the other three brothers stand. Bobby speaks up again. "Right, guys?"

"Of course."

"Always."

"Yeah."

"So, whoever you hate most, you can make them sleep on the couch," Bobby says as a joke. "Just pick a room and go with it." Aya shakes her head. "C'mon. We know you hate us-"

"I shook my head because 'hate' is reserved for a few select people out there in the world," Aya interrupts. "So I'll take the couch, you have your beds, and if I'm gone by morning, don't freak out just yet. Freak out when I haven't checked back in a week."

"Aya, let's go have a talk alone," Evelyn says, grabbing her hand and leading her to the old woman's bedroom. "Pete didn't tell me, but I know he knows you. Has known you for a while, am I right?"

"About three years," Aya confirms. "Evelyn, if you're going to ask about what I do, don't do it. The last time someone got involved, he died. I might not give a damn for anyone here, but that doesn't mean I want another death on my mind, on my hands."

Evelyn takes her in for a moment. "Revenge for your friend won't get you anywhere."

"This isn't for my friend. It is, however, for my mom. I'll try to finish it, old lady, this week. I'm so close..."

Aya doesn't notice the tear that slips down her cheek until the leaves the room and is upstairs and in another. "I'm so close... So close..."


	3. Chapter 3

Aya is on her third week with the Mercers. She eats only dinner with them, goes to school everyday and tries hard not to get kicked out of school every frickin day. Evelyn manages to get her to wear eye liner to make her eyes pop once a week and get her in a shirt under her jacket three times a week, which she wears the jacket less and less. Angel has become the only one brave enough to wake her up in the morning, taking a few hits most of the time. Bobby usually takes on the task of making her eat dinner, while Jeremiah tries to get her to watch more than five minutes of television. Jack is the one tasked with keeping up where she is.

"Aya!" Evelyn calls to the girl. Her hazel eyes snap open, having been almost asleep at seven o'clock in the morning on a Monday after finishing a project that she absolutely loathed for history class. "You have to get ready for school!" Aya growls and slips off the night shirt she wore, adopting another shirt from her closet.

Angel comes in as she is about to put it on with Bobby and Jeremiah right behind him. He puts up a hand as soon as he sees her lacking. "Shit! Sorry! Move out the way!"

"Jesus, guys!" Aya turns and hides her front with the shirt. "Get out!" She grabs the ball she left there the night before when she started her project and throws it at them. "Honestly, can't you knock?!" Angel slams the door as he exits, laughter sounding as Aya learns that the ball hit Bobby in the eye. Rushing to finish before they come in again, Aya accidentally knocks down a glass of water.

"Shit!" The glass had broken into a few pieces, and Aya cut her finger trying to pick it up but doesn't even notice. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Knocking on the door stops her rant and causes her to stand quickly.

"Everything alright in here?" Jack asks, opening the door a little bit. "I heard a crash. Well, Bobby did, but I followed and opened the door since he couldn't find the knob. Nice throw by the way."

"Everything's alright," Aya calls, picking up the fragments. "I'm almost done, so I'll be out in just a second." Aya gathers all of the fragments and puts them in a paper towel to throw away. Aya can tell that it's Bobby who knocks this time because they're harder and louder than Jack's quick movements. "Hang on!" Aya stands up and grabs her bag, throwing her boots on.

Leaving the room, Aya shuts the door, turning and nearly running into Bobby. She slips away from them both, surprised when Bobby grabs her shoulder. "What happened to your hand?" Hazel eyes snap down, looking at her hand.

"I... I don't know," she lies, though she has the sinking feeling that she's been caught having broken something and has to pay terrible prices for it. "Probably just cut myself doing that project last night." Using her other fingers, Aya lifts the poster board up before trying to scurry off again. Bobby stops her again.

"You're a terrible liar. What's in your pocket, Aya?" Bobby points down to the slight bulge in her left jean pocket. Aya looks down and pulls it out of her pocket. She opens the napkin to show the broken glass.

"I didn't mean to. I was rushing after you and the others walked in on me and... it was an accident." Bobby curses a bit, but it isn't in anger or anything close to it. "I'm sorry.. I can pay for another glass. I have the money in the room being given-"

"Don't worry about it. Jack, help the girl clean her hand," he says and Aya sits still for a moment. Jack heads out of sight before coming back with a first aid kit as Bobby goes downstairs to inform his mother and throw away the broken pieces. Aya wishes she could disappear in that moment as Jack holds a hand out.

"I can do it," Aya whispers, reaching for the kit. Jack lets her take it, unquestioning of her intentions with it. "Why didn't Bobby get mad at me?"

"Why would he? It was an accident, wasn't it?"

"It was, but I've done less and... I'm going to school." Aya begins heading down the stairs.

"I'll see you there! Suspension is finally over!" Aya tries not to think about this as she goes out the front door, nodding at Evelyn as a goodbye and leaving a bit of money on the counter for the glass.

* * *

"Hey, look. It's the freak." Aya ignores the comment as she pours over the book in front of her. She hasn't let the Mercers know, nor any other parental figures, but she loves books. Most of her notebooks have a page or two of writing she composed, sometimes poems, sometimes short stories, and sometimes little fantasies nearly every girl has at fifteen. "Freak, look up." Aya ignores them again.

A hand throws away the book she reading, sending it across the table and on the ground. Aya clenches her teeth before looking up. She doesn't bother with names here because she found herself hating everyone she came across at this school. "Gonna talk, freak? Or do I have to carry the conversation on my own? I know how important it is to you that people either ignore you or hold both parts of the conversation."

Aya says nothing, getting up to get her book. The boy, definitely her age and a bully by definition, grabs her arm roughly. The courtyard quiets down, everyone's attention locked on the showdown happening between Aya and the boy. Aya can see Jack not too far away, staring at them both. "C'mon, freak. Say something. What was that? Too damn scared so you wanna go home? I can't imagine how your mother puts up with you."

Aya closes her eyes, body tight, as she tries so _damn hard_ to just _stay calm_ and _not punch this boy in his fucking mouth_. A voice in her head nags at her to say something so he'll back off, but that part is optimistic. She would say something that insults him and get beat up anyway. Might as well stay silent so no one can say that you started it. "Strike a nerve there? So you're not the immovable bitch you pretend to be after all."

She keeps her eyes closed for a moment longer before pushing past him to retrieve her book. "You know, I honestly can't quite believe that you have a penis." Everyone either blanches, giggles, or applauds her. "It must be pretty small if you do. Maybe a millimeter? Hm, if that. Other than that, I've seen girls with smaller breasts than yours. What size are they? D?"

The black haired teen isn't sure what happened first. All she registers is getting hit, falling down, and Jack holding the kid, ready to get in a fight. Aya is quick to react though, feeling a stinging sensation in her cheek. "Piss off, Jack!" She pushes him away, meeting his sky blue eyes head on. The boy earlier insulted and now pissed tries to go for Aya only to receive a broken nose and the wind knocked out of him.

"Why? Because he hit you?" Jack demands from her.

"Because I can handle myself," Aya responds. "And now is not the time, Jack. Go to class and leave me alone."

"If now isn't the time, then when is? You think I haven't noticed that you sneak out every night and don't return until early morning?"

"No, I know that you've noticed because I haven't hidden that little detail. So piss off, Mercer." Aya glares at him as he opens his mouth again. "Argue with me again and see what happens. I said I can handle myself."

"Don't forget that you're a Mercer too, Aya," Jack shoots back.

"I am not a Mercer! If I were, I'd be miserable! I have always been and will always be a Collins. Just because some old lady thinks she can change that doesn't mean shit to me." The bell rings as Aya fights off the guilt at what she says, surprising herself. "Go to class, Jack."

Jack doesn't say anything as he roughly bumps into her, heading toward his homeroom. Aya blows out a sigh. "And it's only morning..." Picking up her bag and book, Aya leaves the courtyard and wishes that she could be somewhere else.

* * *

Aya cruises down the sidewalk on her skateboard that Pete bought her the week before. She looks at the time and changes direction for the thrift shop. Speeding up, Aya catches up to Jack. "Hey, I'm going to head over to the video game store. Tell the old lady for me?" Jack says nothing. "Really? Please tell me that you're kidding me." He looks the other way. "Fine. But when I go missing, you'll have to tell the cops the last place you saw me and live with knowing that you were in a fight with me. Have fun with life."

Aya turns again and speeds away, ignoring Jack as he calls for her to wait. She makes it to Pete's within a few minutes, riding in past him and grabbing her bag. "I'm going to search that lead I got the other day. Should take the usual time."

"Wait, Aya!" Pete calls, catching her arm and pointing at who is moving toward the counter. Aya panics and ducks down, moving to behind the check out. She stays there for a few tense minutes, listening to Angel and Pete converse politely. She heaves a sigh as he leaves and Pete lets her up. "That was close, girl. You should be a bit more careful."

"I should be a bit more of a lot of things, Pete," she responds simply and with the shake of the head. "Don't worry about me." She changes quickly, putting on shades. She smiles at Jack as she walks by, wondering why so many Mercers are around. He seems to stare at her for a moment before dismissing her and going into Pete's shop.

Aya walks the blocks for a while, looking for her target at the usual places. She finds her in the book store, her fifth stop and ninety minutes later. The girl is surprisingly pale, with red hair and green eyes. Pete and a few other sources found it important to notify her of a girl asking around for Bloodless, talking about payments and deliveries.

Pulling up her shades to reveal her contact colored eyes, Aya approaches the girl. She looks at the books. Fantasy. Not a bad collection to Aya. "So, do you know any books I should try out?" the girl asks, starting the conversation. "I've read almost all of them, but don't know what to try next."

"I've already cleared out most of the other book stores," Aya says. "Honestly, I can't tell the difference anymore. Had to get away from this genre for a while, and I'm just now returning to it. Now I have to stay away from horror movies." The girl laughs.

"As have I. I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?"

"Haven't seen me before because of my weird work schedule and many overtimes. Jenna. How about you?"

"Abby," the girl replies. She busies herself with the books, Aya finding something all too familiar in her posture. "So, have you heard the rumors about a guy roaming the streets who calls himself Bloodless? Pretty scary guy."

"Funny," Aya says, twitching irritably. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Last night, a few friends were telling me about how a strange customer came in the other day. Asked about him and excused herself with something about payments and deliveries. Word says that she had red hair cut uneven and green eyes."

Abby laughs. "Hilarious. I heard from my girlfriends that a chick with curly blonde hair and blue eyes has been asking around for a while about him too. Excuses herself with money he owes her. Everyone knows that if he owes someone money that he just kills them." Abby looks at her out the corner of her eye. "So I doubt that it's possible for that person to be alive or telling the truth."

"And I doubt that someone would be looking around for payments. He is very faithful about his rewarding services last I checked." Aya pulls out a book and flips it open. "So I think that she's lying too."

"Let me guess," Abby says. "He killed your family too."

"Eight years old, only child, father died when I was in the womb. Killed the only person who never judged me for a damn thing and worked her fingers to the bone in order to get me through school. I plan on making him wish himself dead for a long time. And you?"

"Seven, three siblings, lived at my grandmother's house. Grandmother died later of heart failure, killed my brothers and sister after finding them in their room. I'd been at a friend's house when it happened."

"So I suppose that I'll get no useful information out of you," Aya says, sighing.

"Unless we join forces and go after the bastard together," Abby suggests, facing her. "I think that we can do a bit better if we do. We don't need to know each other's real name. Just give me a way to contact you and we can do this together. Obviously we can't do it alone. If I know anything, you've been doing this since your breasts started growing too."

Aya hates to admit that Abby's right. "Fine. If you need to contact me for something not so important then go to Pete's Thrift Home. Ain't a pretty name, but he can contact me. If it's something you have to say in person, go to Pete's and ask for an address. Pete's isn't far from here. I can show you the way then we can go look at whatever other leads you have."

"My only lead I haven't checked out is some kid named Gunner," Abby says, putting a book back and grabbing her bag. "Lead the way to Pete's."

"Gunner isn't worth your time. Not yet. I have reason to believe him for now," Aya shares before leaving the shop and catching sight of Bobby. "Shit." She pulls her shades back down.

"Guy you know?" Abby says, pulling the hood of her jacket up.

"Somethin' like that," Aya admits. "I have to live with him for a while. His mother decided to gamble an adoption on me. I'm trying to stay as far from that house as possible."

"Mmm. How many boys are there?"

"Four," Aya answers.

"Damn. How many girls?"

"Only me."

"Lucky bitch. I'm with a bunch of girls. No boys. Well, there is one, but he's gay," Abby says and Aya laughs.

"They can barely stand me. Bobby, the one back there, tries my nerves. I don't know if it's on purpose, but it happens. He's the oldest at twenty two. Next is Jeremiah, who's twenty, and I think he likes me but doesn't like how I say what I say. Then Angel is nineteen, but his birthday is coming up, and he's the only one who dares to wake me up. Then Jack, who is currently giving me the silent treatment, is sixteen."

"Hah. These people are too damn much. Julie is seventeen and the most fake bitch you can meet. Carrie is sixteen and is the most adorable thing in the world. Then Taylor is eight and is so sweet. Mike is fifteen and doesn't talk much," Abby says then with a smile. "Mike only talks to me. I'm the only one who knows about his sexuality, so he tends to tell me more. Especially since Julie won't leave him alone about his nail polish that he wears."

Aya smiles. "I'm happy he has someone like you then. Those kinds of people can be lethal."

"Lethal?"

"They can explode at any minute. Especially with a girl like Julie around," Aya explains. "I was around one. She was bisexual and they caught her with a girl. Treated her like shit. Punching one in the mouth got me kicked out of that foster home." She takes a quick look at Abby. "I'm on his side too."

Abby smiles. "He'll like that." Aya turns and opens the door to Pete's shop. "This is it?"

"This is it," Aya confirms. "Pete, come meet my new accomplice!"


	4. Chapter 4

It is around seven o'clock when Aya walks through the Mercer household door. "I'm back." She crosses the living room to get to the kitchen. Angel leaves the couch where Bobby and Jeremy sit to follow her, ready to voice his suspicions.

"Where were you?" Angel asks. "Jack said you were at the game store. Kinda funny, 'cause when I looked, you wasn't answer near. All of us checked."

"Sounds hilarious," Aya says, swallowing. Panic stirs in Aya. Do they know? Did they recognize her earlier? No way. They couldn't have gotten a good look. There is no way in hell that they know about her secret. So she changes the subject. "Where's the old lady? Normally she's here by now and I blow her off but take what she says to heart. No one has ever been as good at acting as her."

"Which is really funny since she had to go to the liquor store. All of it's gone."

Aya laughs. They think it to be something else. "If you think I'm a drunk then you're wrong, Mercer." She turns to face him. "The day I become a drunk will be the day I get to see my momma again. I do illegal things, but not stupid things. Back off."

"Like you told Jack to this morning?" Aya cuts her gaze, getting too pieces of bread to make a sandwich. "He used to want to get you to know you, and now he doesn't want to talk about you. Gonna make me hate you too just because you don't want to be a part of this family?"

"You don't know shit, Angel!" Aya yells, surprising herself. "I do want to be part of a family, jackass! But every time that I seem to accept someone within my living area, they go away. Run away, juvie, rehab... death. So leave me alone." She brushes past him, leaving the unmade sandwich and going upstairs. She slams her door and grabs her pillow before screaming into it to muffle the sound.

Sitting on her bed, Aya pulls out a notebook with smiley faces on it. She opens the first page to see Eva, smiling and excited. She goes through the photos, remembering each person she had called a friend before circumstances changed. She doesn't hear the door creak open before someone sits on the bed behind her and she slams it shut.

"What?" she snaps, turning around to face him. She's surprised to see Jack. He reaches out and grasps the notebook in her hands. Aya hesitates before pulling it away and putting the book up and backing away from him. "What do you want? Last I heard you were pissed at me." Aya looks at him, unsure of whether she should have what she said or not. She doesn't think before she talks, and she is painfully aware of that fact.

"I am, more or less," Jack admits after a moment. Aya notices that his blue eyes won't quite meet hers, and she feels terrible about it.

"Well stay pissed off at me," Aya says, looking out the window.

"I don't get it." Jack says, reaching to where she put the notebook. He doesn't open it, but holds it in his hand. "The other day, you seemed so... I don't know. But it was that little girl who brought the best out of you. You helped save my ass from getting beat and took the hits yourself. I know you still have a few bruises. But when I tried to help you this morning... You told me to go away. You give help but don't accept it. Why?"

"I'm a solo girl. I accept help only when it completely and fully benefits me," Aya says, staring at the notebook. "I don't entirely know why I told you to back off either... I guess I didn't want you to take a hit for me. I didn't want you to start caring. I didn't want you to get mad and get suspended or expelled. I kind of went through those options but couldn't quite figure it out. Maybe I just started caring. So, how was your day?"

Jack nods. "Where were you really? I checked every place you tell me that you go, but you weren't at any of them." Aya wants to tell him the truth. She's been wanting to tell the old lady the truth, Bobby too. But she hasn't wanted to tell Jack the truth until now. She sighs, blowing out a breath. "Aya? Where were you?"

"Places," she answers vaguely. "Tellin' could get people killed."

"I've noticed that when you're hiding something that you get a tired voice. That something happens to always be the same thing." Aya snaps up at Jack. "We're Mercers Aya. It's perfectly fine to tell us anything."

"I've been told before. Look through that book." She waits for him to open it. "First page is Eva, the little girl. I fed her when she was a baby. I can't tell the truth when I say I don't care for her. She is a very bright light to me. When she was young, she almost got shot. I realized then that I was a target as long as I walked the streets with short black hair and a gun in my pocket that held no bullets.

"Second page is a boy. In that picture, he's fifteen. Brown hair and brown eyes. First foster home. He made me believe in God for a while. When he decided to OD, I quit believing again. Third page is a girl around five years old in that picture. First foster home too. She had asthma and other conditions... But she loved horses. Loved them so much. I got her a little glass one for Christmas that year. The bastard taking care of us thought she stole it. Locked her in a room alone. She had an unnatural fear of the dark... We opened the door an hour later and she was gone."

"What does this have to do with your secret?" Jack asks.

"Skip forward to page... nineteen. Boy, fourteen, with messy blonde hair and bright green eyes. He and I dated for a while. I told him about the thing you want to know so desperately. He was walking home from school. I wasn't far ahead of him. We were racing... Drive by shooting. I got the note they left in my room though. 'Don't be a snitch you stupid bitch' it said. It's on the next page."

Jack stares for a moment. He puts the book down before staring at her. "How many of these people are dead?"

"Five. Six possibly. The rest are mostly in juvie or high somewhere," Aya answers. She smiles sadly. "Life isn't sunshine, Jack. You have a good life here, but I don't want to ruin it. If I told you what I do every time I disappear, I'd be afraid to come home. Well, more than afraid. I'm already that. I'd be terrified."

Jack stays there for a little while. He just looks at her, and Aya feels self conscious as he does so. Finally he looks away and stands up. "If you ever need anything, I'm here." Aya nods her head.

"Thanks, Jack," she whispers. "Tell Angel I'm sorry, 'kay? I don't think I should be around people right now. Evelyn should be back soon and finish dinner. Eat a piece of dessert for me."

Jack looks at her and then looks away before saying, "Thanks for sharing your life with me. I'll be back, so don't do anything stupid."

"Does homework count?"

* * *

True to his word, Jack does come back. He knocks on the door softly before opening it. He half expects for Aya not to be there. "Aya?" She has her book lying next to her, but her eyes are closed. Jack sighs. He walks over to her bed to find that she already showered and her math homework lying on the floor, complete and ready to e turned in.

Finding no reason to wake her up, Jack grabs a blanket from next to her bed and covers her with it. Aya stirs and opens her eyes. "It's Jack, Aya. Go back to sleep."

Aya nods, closing her eyes. "Promise me something, Jack?"

"What is that?"

"Don't be like those people in my book. Be like Eva. Someone I can fear for but know that I won't let them go away from my life."

Jack smiles, brushing a few tendrils of hair from her face. "I promise." Aya smiles at him, sinking further into her pillow. "I'll always stay for you, Aya." Aya grabs his hand where it is on the bed and holds it. Jack notices then that she holds something tight to her. It's in relatively good condition, he notes, and hears her breathing even out.

Bobby knocks softly. "Ma wants to see Aya." His brows scrunch in confusion. "You two kiss and make up?"

"Something like that. Tell mom that she's asleep. She wasn't hungry earlier, so we'll make her eat in the morning," Jack says, not looking at Bobby. Jeremy joins behind the oldest and looks in. Angel is last as they see their baby brother with a sleeping girl who can't quite open up without getting angry.

"Be careful, Jackie," Jeremy warns. "She isn't someone to fall for."

Jack brushes him off with a laugh. The boys shrug and leave, all except for Jack, who sits against the headboard and tries to release himself from her tight, child like grip. In the end, he gives up and lays down next to her on top of the blanket and closes his eyes. He hopes Aya doesn't hit him for it in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Aya opens her eyes in the middle of the night to find herself sweating. She sees a figure in the dark, moonlight sliding in through the window. Blinking, she finds it to be Jack. She looks down at her hand, seeing Jack's clasped around it as well. She thinks through the night but can't remember much of what she said before falling asleep. She brings her other hand up, trying to gently pry his hand away from hers.

He mutters softly before Aya stops trying. She looks at him for a minute longer, her hazel eyes filled with alarm and caution. His eyes open and she closes her own. "I know you're awake, Aya," he whispers. "What is it?"

"I'm hot by nature, Jack. I'm freaking sweating," she whispers back. "I was going to go crash in your bed." Jack shakes his head and gets up, opening the window a crack. The change in temperature is drastic, and Aya shivers visibly. He crawls under her blanket, closing his eyes again. "Thanks, Jack."

"No problem. Go back to sleep, Aya," he says, getting closer to her. "It's too damn early to be awake." Aya giggles before agreeing and cuddles into her pillow. Jack tosses and turns, unable to fully sink back to sleep now that he's so cold. This keeps Aya awake too. She growls before grabbing his arm.

"Stop moving," she orders softly. "It's getting on my nerves. Are you cold?" He nods, and she gives him most of the blanket. "There. Quit moving." Jack, now wide awake, smirks and moves his hand toward her sides. She jumps, snorting in an attempt to hold back laughter. He does it again, and she grabs both hands to make him stop. He's stronger though, so her efforts are useless as he does it again.

Aya moves all the way to the wall, twisting and muffling laughter by biting her lip. When he stops, chuckling himself, Aya pants heavily, trying to catch her breath. He smirks at her as she flips him off. "I hate you very much right now." She flips over and gets an idea in her head. "I'm thinking of getting back at you." She pulls him close to her. His eyes widen, flicking down before back up. "But... I think it'll have to wait. Don't you?" She crawls over him. "I'm stealing your bed now."

She's at the door when Jack pulls her back into her room. "Okay, no more playing around. I'll go get in my bed, and you stay in yours," he orders. Aya quirks a brow. "Please?" Aya smirks. He opens the door and pads away, while Aya watches him go. She shuts the window and crawls back under her covers and grabs her stuffed animal.

* * *

"I'm not hungry, Bobby." Aya glares at the oldest Mercer brother. He glares straight on down at the smaller girl. He's adamant about Aya eating breakfast after missing dinner the night before, but she keeps on going about how she isn't hungry. "Let it go, Bobby, because I am not eating unless you force it down my throat."

Angel laughs at her, enjoying the sequence between the teenage girl and grown man. Jeremy is watching too, and can't help it as he laughs too. "Eat the pancake, Aya." She crosses her arms and shakes her head. "Aya, eat the damn pancake!"

"I took three bites, Bobby!" Aya yells back. "I said no, and that is my final decision! Now move before I'm late for school, jerk!"

"What is going on?" Jack asks, coming downstairs with his bag. He walks past Angel and Jeremy, grabbing from the stack of pancakes meant to be split between the siblings. He looks between the two others in the kitchen, glaring at each other rather intently. "Aya, eat your pancake ma made for you." Aya turns to glare at Jack.

"I am not hungry." She huffs and tries to walk past Bobby, who moves to stop her. "Is it so bad that I'm not starving, Bobby? Besides, it'll be my problem and not yours if I die of starvation." Bobby lets her walk past, but she sees Jack say something to Bobby before following her out the door, nibbling on his own food. "If you made a deal with Bobby about me eating that pancake, it isn't going to happen, Jack."

"It isn't about the stupid pancake, Aya," Jack says, stopping and kneeling down. Aya assumes he's tying his shoes until something cold makes her yelp. She turns to see him with another in hand.

"Did you just throw a snowball at me? Me?" Aya kneels down, scooping up a handful of fallen snow. She dodges another one as he kneels down to get more. She throws the ball of frost at him, hitting his left shoulder. "You are so dead, Mercer!"

* * *

During second hour, Aya regrets not having eaten breakfast. She growls at the way her stomach screams and scolds her. Especially since she sleeps during second period and can't today because of her little problem. "Hungry now?" Jack asks, holding out a cold pancake. Aya glares at him, taking the food.

"You so did that on purpose," she accuses him. He just grins at her, and she rolls her eyes, biting it. "I hate you so much right now. Like, really, honestly, truly hate you, Jack."

"Hmm, I'll see what you're saying tonight when I open a window so you aren't sweating." Jack looks back as the teacher comes in. "Are you going to MIA this afternoon?"

"Probably. It depends on what I hear, Jack." Aya sighs. "You don't have to cover for me. I can tell Evelyn the secret if it makes you comfortable. I haven't seen or heard of this guy shooting old ladies. Unless you count thirty as old."

"Someone has to watch out for you."

"And it ain't gotta be you."

"Mercer, turn around and quit distracting your classmate. Aya, please don't eat in my class." Jack rolls his eyes before turning around and Aya hides her pancake as she eats it, paying attention to her teacher's droning and boring voice.

* * *

Aya sits in the living room, throwing a ball of paper up in the air. She laughs at Angel as he makes a joke. "That was actually a good one, Angel." She looks over at him to see him looking surprised. "What? I actually listen sometimes." She rolls her eyes before getting up. "I'll be down after homework time. Yay..."

"I don't have homework," he says, laughing. "Yay!"

"Screw you, Angel!" Aya yells, half serious about it before closing her door. She pulls out a bag, pulling on a hoodie and dragging her hair into a ponytail before pulling the hood up and putting the contacts in. Her door opens and she pulls the hood over more before swinging out of her window. She runs off, not sure who saw her and not really caring.

She sees Abby a few minutes later, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Upon closer inspection, she sees that it isn't even lit and smiles. "Type of Fault in Our Stars shit, right?"

"You've read it?" Abby asks with a grin. Aya nods. "Pretty much. Grandmother said that my grandfather died of lung cancer, so it kind of makes me feel better. Besides, I won't even lie. I've lit up a few before."

Aya laughs. "Don't even worry about that much. I've seen a lot less young people actually light up two or three in an hour." She looks down the street. "So, how are we going to do this? We can't exactly pretend that what we're doing isn't bad. If people see us together especially..."

"Honestly, I want to scare the shit out of Blood," Abby says with contempt. "I want him to know that his time is running out. I want him to know that we're hot on his trail. As long as we keep up the fake identities and stay as far away from family in these identities, then we're good."

Aya leans against the wall they're hiding behind. "I think we should get jobs. Makes us seem more like a person than we are. Put a little bit more on our age, make up a birthday, and shabang. We seem more than we really are." Abby nods, understanding. "Besides... Extra cash gets a lot of things out most people I've met and I'm getting low after jacking one foster dad's drug stashes and selling the shit out of it."

"Damn. I never thought of doing that," Abby says, giggling a bit. "I can't imagine how much trouble you got in."

"Hey, juvie isn't bad after a few trips." Aya looks at her nails. "I need to get these done... But if I-"

"People will notice. I have the same problem," Abby says. "So, we're going to get jobs... Where?"

"Pete's, definitely. I'll take three to six on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and you can have a morning shift on Saturday with three to six on Tuesday and Thursday," Aya says, taking out a notebook and writing it down. "Is that cool?"

"Sure. Most of my stuff happens on Fridays anyway, so Saturdays are great," Abby says, pulling a pen out of her pocket and writing it on her arm. "So, we let him know, but we put a difference between us and... us..." Abby laughs.

Aya smiles. "Yeah, pretty much. I gotta go. Someone was coming in my room when I left, so I can only hope that it was Jack or else. He doesn't demand questions like the others. See ya tomorrow after work?"

"Of course," Abby smiles. The duo part ways, and Aya grins, feeling even closer than before to finding this bastard.

* * *

"Aya," Eva whines over the phone. "I tried really hard though! It was super duper hard words!"

"It really was. I haven't heard of many first graders who can spell coincident or... floccinaucinihilipilification. Even if it is for bonus. What the hell does that even mean?" Mrs. Jackson asks.

"The act of judging something as worthless." The phone is silent. "What? I get bored sometimes, Mrs. J. Besides it is... eight thirty, so I think that you need to get your booty in bed."

"Oh, I didn't even realize. Thanks, Aya," she says before they say goodbye. Aya puts the phone down and looks around at Bobby and Angel.

"What?"

"Where were you at dinner? That is the only time you ever talk to us and the only time we ever see you, Aya," Bobby says. Aya shrugs.

"I got a job at Pete's," she mumbles. "Or at least tried to get a job. Some blonde bitch got it before I could. Sorry if you were inconvenienced by my lack of attendance." She walks past them both, squeezing tight so she doesn't touch either one of them. "By the way, your fly's undone, Bobby!" Aya hops up the steps as she hears Angel laugh and Bobby swear loudly.

Aya opens her door to find someone already looking in her room. "What are you doing, Jack?" she growls at the blonde boy. Jack jumps, pulling her leather jacket out in the process. She didn't even realize that she brought it home until now. "Put it up and leave the bag alone." She scans over her room, seeing what else he managed to dig up.

On her bed is her gun and crowbar. "Why do you need this stuff, Aya?" Jack asks.

"It doesn't matter. We went over this," she hisses, closing the door and locking it so no one can come in. "Why the hell would you go through my stuff?!" Aya doesn't lie to herself. She is pissed off at Jack for what he's done here and now.

"Why wouldn't I? You left before dinner, not even bothering with the damn door," he says, and Aya can tell that he's pretty mad too. "Why do you need a gun and a set of clothes that I've never seen you in?"

"That's the point, idiot," she says, stuffing her belonging back in the bag she brought before stuffing it under her bed. "If people were to recognize me then it wouldn't be good for who I'm living with, now would it, Jack?" She glares at him, not in the mood to at all back down from him. "Get out of my room and tell this to no one."

Jack glares at her for a moment longer. "You know what? Fine then. I won't say anything about this to anyone, but that does not mean that I won't continue looking for answers, Aya."

"Damn right you won't," she hisses. "If you were to mention this to anyone..." Aya shakes as he walks past, brushing her shoulder roughly in the process. She keeps her eyes trained on the floor and flinches when the her door slams shut and flinches once again when Jack's does. She pulls a phone out of her school bag and checks for any messages.

Aya sighs before falling on her bed, finding that misery would be her only company tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were slow, with brief meeting with Abby that included saying that they had found nothing other than big globs of it. Aya worked at Pete's shop, and actually began to enjoy her time there. She has yet to catch Jack in her room again, but she had no doubt that he had been in there. She found subtle changes when she got home, and only a few things missing. She says nothing about it to any one, not sure if it would be a considerably good idea or not.

Now, though, it is Wednesday at four thirty. "Ma'am?" Aya turns around to see the Mercer brothers, and her heart speeds up. "Ah, okay. My brother came here the other day when another chick was in charge."

"Abby?" Aya asks in a higher pitched voice, adding a slight accent to it. "Yes, she told me about you. Said you were looking for an accent like..." She pulls out her phone, looking through the messages. "Like this." She shows a leather jacket that Abby said looked entirely too much like hers, the only noticeable difference being that hers didn't have a small pink ribbon on it like the one in the shop. "You wanted to know who has bought tan colored leather jackets."

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind," Bobby says, and Aya bristles at his next words.. "Jackie here thinks that it's important to something about our sister. But we can't tell her or anything because she'd kill us." He laughs and Aya forces a smile. "So, can you help us?"

"Of course I can," Aya says. She knows where she got that leather from, and she sure as hell knows that no body has record of her buying it. Except maybe a security camera. She flips her hair over her shoulder and excuses herself, going to the storage room where they kept the books. She grabbed a few within the last four months. "All I'm allowed to let you see in within the last few months. No longer and no shorter than that. All the leather jackets we sold have been to... Wow, Pete doesn't sell much leather... He has only sold two jackets, and they have both been to males."

Bobby runs a hand through his hair. "So if she didn't buy it from here then where did she get it from?" He shakes his head. "Pete's and Nick's place have both been crossed off. Those were the only two."

"I guess we go try Nick again," Angel suggests. "He does like to talk after his first round of coffee."

"How can you be sure that she even bought it?" Aya asks, busying herself with another costumer. "For all you know, she stole it. Unless you've seen a receipt that's disappeared recently." She smiles at the customer and wishes her well. "I mean, she obviously doesn't want people to know about it."

"I don't know if she's a thief," Jack admits. "If she is, then there's no way we'll find a way to the gun either. She probably picked the crowbar up at a garage sale." Jeez, that's pretty accurate on the crowbar part. Aya wonders how to play this off. Her mouth is much faster than her head though.

"What do you think she's doing? Drug dealing?"

"She's been caught a few times," Bobby growls.

"I haven't ruled it out just yet," Jeremy says, picking up a pair of pants. "How much are these?"

"Look at the price tag," Aya says, almost letting her "voice" slip up. "Well, let me tell you, my juvenile days sound like hers. Steal things, drug dealing, and whatever else I think she's done. Foster kid?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Lucky guess. This sister of yours is probably doing more than petty drug dealing. If she hasn't told you, I don't think you should put yourselves in the equation. It complicates matters, and makes it harder to see the big picture when she's trying to hide it, but people ganging up on her, like her siblings, will make her desperate and she might do something that you will all regret."

Bobby takes this in before nodding. "We'll come back another day. Thanks for your help." Aya waves goodbye to them before leaning against the counter and sighing. She almost says something before she's tapped on the shoulder. She sees Jack with a black jacket in his hand.

"How much?" Aya checks him out quickly before seeing that it is only five o'clock.

"This shit is stressful."

* * *

Aya sighs as she enters the Mercer household through her window. She lays down on her bed and pulls out a book, pretending that she had gotten home late and decided to hang in her room. As if on perfect cue, her door slides open and Bobby looks inside her room with Jack and Angel not too far behind. "Hey, when'd you get home?"

"Not too long ago," Aya says, breathing a sigh. "I was a bit late getting home. Where were you?" She flips the page before cussing one of the characters as he had done something stupid.

"Just... Stuff," he says lamely.

"You are a terrible liar. Say, Jack, when do I get my basketball pen back?" Aya smirks as she sees him give an alarmed look. "I take inventory of my belongings. I'm not that stupid." They start to back away, but she isn't quite done. "Pete said he got a strange group in today. He was in his office, but he heard you were looking in the books. Looking for something in particular? I can help better than anyone he hires."

"Ah, no," Bobby says, the other two leaving him behind to save their own asses. Aya gives him a look. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"Mhm," she says, digging her nose back into her book. She laughs after she leaves, finding it hilarious that she managed to play it off like she did. She wipes away tears at the corner of her eyes before getting up to go eat. "Hello, Mrs. Evelyn." Evelyn smiles at her.

"Quit calling me that. You're making me feel old," she says with a smile. Aya sits at the table where her plate is already made. She smiles gratefully at Evelyn, who she knows made it for her by the amount of food on the plate in an attempt to keep her here longer. "So, how was your day?"

"Well," Aya answers as her usual response blends in with the boys' alrights and okays. Evelyn smiles and looks at Aya.

"Aya, what'd you do in school?"

"Went actually," she answers. "I didn't do anything exciting if that's what you're asking." Aya looks at Jack, who doesn't seem to make eye contact with her. "Unless you've been told about the accident today."

"It wasn't an accident, Aya, and you know it," Jack says, glaring across the table. "He did it on purpose."

"It doesn't matter," she says. "He was being a dick, and dicks act like dicks because they think that they're a big dick. I'm used to it, Jack."

"That doesn't mean he gets to beat up on you, Aya!"

"You act as though he's some type of abusive boyfriend, Jack!" Aya stands up and slams her hands on the table. "How many times do I have to tell you to piss off before you get the idea? I can take care of it."

"Just as you're taking care of those things you do?"

Aya can't help it. She has to back down from the challenge. She wants to fight. She wants to piss Jack off. She wants them to know. But she can't fucking tell them. She growls, low in her throat before stalking away from the table. She ignores the calls for her to come back. "If you want me to take care of it, Jack... let me go missing for a week where you find a body that I purposely plant for you to find. You, Bobby, Angel, Jeremy... Even Eva if I wanted. Make you think I'm dead and do some_ Pretty Little Liars_ shit. Of course, if you want me to get it down a helluva lot quicker than I am now."

* * *

Jack sits in his room and strums his guitar. It's well into the night, and the last time anyone tried to talk to Aya, she threw a ball at them, specifically Bobby again in the other eye this time around. When he tried, she reached under her bed and pulled out a baseball bat. "Get. Out. Now." Her words and actions still slightly sting.

He hears something fall in her room, before a groan rises in the air. He hears her door open and Bobby's voice floats through under his door, which is right next to Aya's. He stays on his bed for a moment before making his way to his door, ready to overhear a conversation that probably isn't any of his damn business. "...I said that I'm fine."

"Doesn't mean you are," Jack hears Bobby say. "Look, I'm trying to be a good older brother, Aya. Humor me a bit."

"Fine," she says with a heavy sigh. "I'll fucking humor you. I dropped my ball that in which has made contact with both of your eyes, and I really don't want to talk to people. I hate what Jack did because it was a nice and kind gesture, fuck that it was the right thing to do. I hate that Evelyn felt the need to bring it up, because I have it under control. Everything is under control."

"And what about the things you do that you haven't told anyone about?" Jack holds his breath, listening closely for this part. He hears her growl. "Don't growl at me. You aren't a bitch."

"Well, if you mean a dog, then no. If you mean the other bitch, then yes," she says, being a smartass. "Alright, fine. Let's do a bit of roleplaying here. You're eight and you see your mother die in front of you over a bit of money. What would you do?" Bobby doesn't say anything for a while. "Okay, new information. Your mother is, and God forbid this ever happen to that old lady, Evelyn."

"Kill anyone I have to," he then answers. "Get back at the guy who did it and tore my family apart by doing so."

"Exactly, Mercer. Now get out of my room." Jack hold his lets out his breath as he clicks the pieces together to form a picture. More like a bigger picture, but he ignores that thought. He looks at someone he snagged from her room and sighs.

"They've taken your mother and your lover, girl," he whispers, twirling her old promise ring in his hands.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Shit. shit. shit. shit. My bad. I was going fast and didn't pay attention, so this is the real Chapter 7, and I apologize for the mistake...

Aya feels like she had less than a night of sleep when she sits up. She marks the day on her calender, February twenty fifth. Aya groans, remembering what day it is and flops back on her bed. "Can I just stay here?" she yells at the person knocking on her door. "I'm tired and I need more freaking sleep."

"No, you cannot stay because you know that you won't sleep," Jack says on the other side of the door. "The guys are out and I'm supposed to keep you busy for the day on Bobby's orders." Aya throws her ball at the door. "I'm happy I didn't open the door, because that sounds like it wouldn't have been so very nice to me."

"Damn right," she answers quietly, shifting around and closing her eyes again. She almost wishes she hadn't thrown her ball when her door opens and Jack hits her with a pillow. She curls into a ball, black hair a tangled mass as it covers her face and eyes shut as tight as they can be shut.

"Get up."

"No."

"Now, Aya."

"No."

"I will go get the water next."

"I dare you. Remember what happened to Angel?"

"...Yes. But you love me, so it's fine." Jack takes her warning and pockets it away, remembering when she threw the ball at Angel and it hit him hard. He had a bruise for a while, and Bobby loved to make fun of it while it lasted. He goes to the bathroom and takes a cup full of ice cold water and goes back into her room. She's in her normal position once more, cuddling her pillow and stuffed lion.

Jack dips a finger in the water and sprinkled it over her face. Aya blinks rapidly before turning so her cheek is on her pillow. She does it again and she growls at him. Jack frowns and pours the whole thing on her. "Jesus, Jack!" Aya yells, and Jack can't say that he didn't feel bad. It ended shortly after the words of a thousand sins left her mouth.

"Awake now?" he asks. Aya growls at him before sitting up and pays no mind to him as she closes her closet door and changes into jeans and not wet white t-shirt. She growls at him again on the way out of her room and he follows behind, closing her bedroom door on the way out. He is actually surprised to see that she doesn't have her gun or crowbar with her and it makes him feel slightly better about it all.

"Good morning," she greets in a voice that says it is not. She brushes back her wet hair before realizing that she forgot to run a brush so her hair looks nappier than usual. "Damn. Angel, hand me my brush from over there. It isn't as good as the one in the bathroom but it gets the job done. Say, finally giving up your position of trying to make me get up earlier than I have to?"

"Nah, just taking a vacation," Angel answers with a laugh. "Catch." Aya takes the brush and runs it through her hair, grimacing at the snags. "Girl, come here. It will take you hours to get through that shit."

"It takes me a while every morning," she admits. "And the walk to school," Jack adds under his breath. Aya looks at him. "Really?" He shrugs. She growls, forcing a hand through her hair painfully. She hands the brush to Jack before sitting down in her spot on the couch. Jack hands it to Angel, and Angel sits behind her.

"So, you deal with this things every morning?" he asks, watching her shoulders as he pulled the brush through. She nods and he gives her hair a look. "That definitely sucks."

"I sleep weird, and add to that that my hair already does what it wants and you get... this." Her hand comes up to gesture to her black strands. "Of course, I am what I am and only God can judge me now."

"Sounds poetic," Angel chuckles. Aya turns to glare at him, but he begins brushing again. "So, what are you and Jack going to do today?"

"The usual places I go," Aya answers. _Of course, Jack won't be a part of that._ She sees him tense out the corner of her eye. "I suppose the arcade, the book store, Pete's, the diner."

"Alright," Angel says before handing her the brush. "I've done what I can, for all that's worth." She nods.

"Thank you," she mumbles, feeling slightly embarrassed. She gets her shoes on before going out the door with Jack in front of her. "See ya later." She flips her hair over her should and falls in step with Jack.

"Where do you want to do first?" she asks.

"Wherever you usually go," he answers.

"Fine, let's see. Diner's hours are ten am to two am... We could go to the book store then make a stop at the diner for lunch?" She looks to him for his approval. He just shrugs. "What is it, Jack?"

"Nothing," he replies. She raises a brow. "I want to go wherever you usually go."

Aya steps ahead and puts a hand out to his chest to stop him. She leans in. "Is that supposed to mean something, Jack? Because if it does, it isn't happening. Get the fuck over it."

"You keep saying that you've got everything under control. Put the mask on and show me that you've got everything under your direct control," he says and she turns on her heel before walking away. "Aya. Aya!"

"No," she says, deciding to walk by herself. He tries catching up. "No." She wants to take off running down the street, knowing that she can get damn well near the book store before she has to stop. He grabs her arm, and she wrenches it away from him. "No." She turns around to look at him.

"Aya," he says, blowing out a breath. "Don't do this to me."

"Do what?" she asks, and Jack notices how tired it sounds. Like she really hates doing this and having this conversation. "I'm not doing anything, Jack. I am sitting here-"

"You're not sitting, Aya. You're walking away from the conversation because you're scared to have it." Aya glares at him before sighing and letting out a breathy laugh.

"The last person who told me that is dead, Jack. I'd hate to see you dead," she whispers. "Let's go to the book store." She begins walking in that direction again and allows Jack to follow. "So, how was your week?"

"Went just fine until yesterday when that guy hit you like he did," Jack answers and Aya sighs again. "I'm not going to drop that subject. He just.. Hit you out of fucking nowhere, and it wasn't like he knew you."

"I don't think it matters. He was probably drunk," she answers. She looks around and blows a breath again. "And he does know me. He was my fourth foster parent. I left his place because I hit him back when he hit another girl. He, uhm, wasn't a good guy and that isn't anything for me to talk about because it's over and his shadow cannot keep ruining my life."

"Okay," Jack says, deciding to let it go. They walk in silence until they get to the store and she browses a bit. Jack follows, keeping an eye on the shadows and behind them. A pst alerts both her and him.

He motions them over, and crouches down. "You know homegirl, Jenna?"

"Jenna?" Jack asks. "The chick who works at Pete's?" He looks at Aya, who stays quiet. She nods, and Gunner hands her a slip of paper.

"Tell her that she can't trust Abby," he whispers. "I saw her last night at his place. She's close and personal, man." Aya nods, and feels a sensation similar to a punch in her gut. "She ask you for information on Blood?"

"Only once," Aya replies. "It was a cold trail. I bought from one of his dealers and sold it for double." He nods with laughter shaking his shoulders.

"Alright, girl. See ya," he says, and gets out of the store quickly. Aya stands up and puts the paper in her pocket. She smiles at Jack and they continue looking through the store. Jack, in the end, gave up entirely looking to her for answers and choosing to instead go for the answers hidden where even she didn't know. He looks at the slip of paper he grabbed from her pocket that she hasn't even read.

"'Jenna, don't bite the bait.' Not much for answers, but..." Jack sighs and pushes a hand through his hair. "Keep her busy, Mercer. It is her birthday after all."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: a lot happens, and this will come to an end within the next few chapters, so... yeah. I hope to start a little miniseries with Aya and the Mercer brothers before the film fic, so... Yeah...

* * *

Aya laughs and pushes Jack, holding one bag, and says, "You're very funny, Mercer. But my secret purchase is not your concern. And it certainly is not anything like handcuffs, despite your wildest fantasies I am sure are about me." He laughs and his face turns pink. "Oh shit... you're not... God, please tell me that you are not a virgin."

"Well, uh... I'd be lying," he answers, and Aya slaps his shoulder.

"After how hot you are?" Aya laughs. "Good God! And even Abby wants to hit that." He smiles, slightly familiar with her terminology for wanting to have sex. "You have to be joking, right? Please tell me you are. Please."

"I'm not," he says loudly. "And I won't point blank say it, Aya." She laughs again, heading up the steps of the Mercer household. "Hey, wait, a second. I have to go in first and check on how drunk the guys are, so you give me, say... five minutes?" She sighs.

"Take any longer and I'll break down the door," she says before sitting down in the chair on the porch and holding her bag in her lap. She puts a hand in her pocket. "Or maybe I could go drop by Pete's and give this to Jenna... Nah, not a good idea. It's late and his place is too far away... Did we really have to stay out so long? My feet hurt, Jackie."

Jack stops as he opens the door and grins. "You just called me Jackie."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Ha!"

"Jack, shut up."

Jack still grins even as he obliges and goes inside. Aya takes out the only two purchases in her bag, a huge cookie with icing and a candle. She puts it in the icing and lights the candle. "Happy sixteen, my darling princess," is all she hears as she closes her eyes and blow it out. "Thanks, mom," she whispers before taking a bite out of it.

She finishes the cookie in five minutes, too which she grabs the spare key and opens the door. "Angel? Bobby? Jack? Jer?" She puts the key on the counter and goes toward the kitchen, the living room having been on. "Evelyn?" Aya pulls out a small knife from her back pocket. "It isn't funny guys, like seriously. Jesus, did I just say 'like'? Damn it, Angel!"

Aya peers inside the kitchen before jumping and screaming as Angel jumps out at her and the lights turn on. She leans forward, hands on her knees, as she tries to catch her breath before looking up and seeing streamers and balloons all over the kitchen. Her breath catches and tears fill her eyes for a brand new reason that she never thought to do so for. "What is this?" she whispers.

Bobby wraps his arm around her neck lazily, answering, "A birthday party, what else?"

"I've never had one..."

"And you were making fun of me for being a virgin?" Jack jokes, thinking she isn't serious this time. Angel lets his mouth drop.

"Holy shit, she isn't kidding... Had I known that I would've brought some beer," he says. Aya nods her head, not really listening as she looks at Evelyn, who smiles knowingly.

"I had the sneaking suspicion," she says at Aya's questioning look. "You didn't even tell us it was your birthday! I had to go back into your file that I kept that contains your birth certificate. I thought this would be a nice gift."

"No one has ever even bothered to look at the idea of a party, especially not for me. Only Eva has ever asked and I promised she could spend the day with me tomorrow since she has a soccer game tonight..." Aya actually feels the urge to hug her. "Why would you do this?"

"Birthdays are important," Jeremy says, cutting in. "Especially one that happens to fall on a Saturday, girl. Besides, every Mercer gets a party in this house, even for birthdays. Even at eighteen years old and they want a Toy Story themed party."

"Hey, c'mon man. I was drunk when I made that decision," Angel says and Aya can't help but laugh. She falls into her urge and wraps her arms around Evelyn for a brief second.

"Thanks... I'm actually starting to think you care." Aya chokes, wiping tears from her eyes. "God, this is so nice of you. All of you." She wipes more tears from her eyes as Bobby calls up the group hug. She growls at him but everyone else comes in anyway. "Okay, okay! No more, quit touching! Quit touching me, quit touching me, quittouchingme!"

"Love ya too," Bobby says, and she smiles slightly, rolling her eyes.

"So, uh... what do you do at birthday parties?" Aya asks, feeling awkward suddenly as she does so. She shifts as everyone stares at each other before turning to her again.

"Normally you play games and stuff, but..." Bobby trails off.

"We didn't know what you like and Jack forgot to get the details," Angel says, putting it on the youngest other than Aya herself. "So, blame it on him that we have no games."

"But we do have cake. I remember you saying that you love chocolate cake and your prefer whip icing when we were watching an ad," Jeremy says. "Who's da man?" Aya laughs slightly and everyone feels themselves sweat slightly.

"Oh, God..." Jack whispers. "You've never had your own birthday cake!" Aya laughs sheepishly. "This is the most I've ever heard you laugh. Ha! I get it! You laugh when you're nervous."

"Hoe, shut up," she says. "Okay, what else? I don't really know what else you do at a birthday party."

"Eat cake and open presents is all we have. I don't think it's too late to go get some beer. Ever been drunk?"

"Tipsy, but not shitfaced," Aya replies. She looks at them. "What? Just because I partied in middle school doesn't mean I partied." Her hazel eyes rest on the cake in the middle of the table. "Gosh, guys... How much did this cost? I can pay you guys back. I mean-"

"Pay back for your own birthday party? Oh, hell no," Angel interrupts. "You are not going to pay us back for shit about this. Now sit down, eat ya damn cake, open ya damn presents, and have a damn good night. We tried to look to see if you had any friends, but... Jackie hasn't seen you interact with anyone." Aya shrugs, and stands offishly.

"Okay, so... Where do we start?" she asks. Bobby cheers before she's ushered into a chair by the four boys. "Okay..." A small box is thrust into her hands. "To Aya, from Jeremiah, your favorite. Hah, you're funny sweetheart. Pete is definitely my favorite out of all you idiots."

"Aya, open the damn box," Jeremy says, knowing that she's stalling as it doesn't surprise anyone that since she hasn't had her own party or her own cake that she hasn't had any presents of her own. Aya blows out a breath before pulling off the bow and opening the box. She takes out what's inside, and smiles as she sees that it is a digital camera.

"Oh, how in the hell did you know that I've had my eye on this?!" Aya squeals, half hugging him. "Oh, my God, thank you!"

"You're not that hard to read," Jeremy says, smiling back at this accomplishment. He sticks his tongue out at Bobby, who in turn flips him off. Aya smiles and thanks Bobby as he hands her another.

"To Aya, love, from Bobby, dear. Are you serious? I'm keeping the note, just saying," Aya says. She sees Bobby's look and sets to opening the box. She pulls out a shirt that has 'Princess' written in fancy lettering. "I actually like this shirt. And it's my size... Got something to tell me, Mercer?" She bumps shoulder with him before resting her head on his shoulder for a moment. "I seriously like it."

"Good." He pumps his fist, looking over at Jerry, who in turn shakes his head. "I'm glad you like it. I didn't know exactly what to get you, and since we know Jackie's been snooping, I decided to ask him for a size." Aya smiles at him, and takes the next gift from Angel. She notices that it's small and that he looks rather proud of himself.

"I swear to God that if this is jewelry, it's your ass," she says with a smile. "Just saying, babe." Aya opens it, seeing him just keep a smile. She takes out a key chain. "'Dream big and reach the stars'... That's deep, Angel." She pinches his side and laughs lightly when he jumps. He smiles as she pockets it, knowing to take that as a damn good sign.

"Here's mine," Jack says, handing it to her.

"To Ava... Thanks, Jack. From Jackie. I don't call you Jackie... Why is the I-E done in red and the rest in black?" She glares at him. "I did not call you Jackie out on the porch."

"Open your present and be happy," he says with an eye roll. "I want to see your face."

"It better not be anything expensive. I'll accept it from the other three, but not- holy shit. That's my birth stone." Aya takes out the necklace with one amethyst stone. "Wow... Okay, I don't accept jewelry from anyone, but I might make an exception for this... How much was this, because I know it was pretty penny." She looks at Jack, who says nothing. "You and I will talk about this later."

"We have one last thing," Evelyn says, taking a rectangular object from her bag. "It took a few strings, but I managed to get this." Aya accepts it, giving Evelyn weird looks as she pulls away the tissue paper. Aya opens the book and bites her lips, tears spilling over. "Oh, I think I did a better job than Jack, and that's only because I didn't pay near as much as he did." Evelyn winks at Aya.

"How did you find this? I thought it was destroyed," Aya says, wiping tears from her cheeks and reading the handwriting. She looks at the boys. "This is my mom's old diary from when she was a teenager to when I was about two years old. She used to read this to me in place of storybooks. I had whole pages memorized once, but now... I don't even remember her fish story."

"Damn, ma," Bobby whispers. "How did you get your hands on this?"

"I said I pulled a few strings. It was in the evidence locker of your mother's murder," she says nonchalantly, and Aya smiles at her again. "I hope that Andrea wouldn't mind."

"My mom? No way. If anything, she'd prefer it this way, especially with how old I am now. She said I couldn't hear a few pages for a while..." Aya closes the book and looks at Evelyn, keeping eye contact and giving her the warmest smile she could. "Thank you so much, Evelyn."

"Let me hear you call me 'mom' just once," Evelyn teases. Aya rolls her eye.

"Only once... Thank you so much, mom," she says. "Happy now?"

"Very," Evelyn admits, going back to her knitting. Aya laughs for a moment before yelping as the boys turn her around to her cake. She flushes pink as they sing to her, and she hides from them, even nipping Bobby's wrist when he tried to remove her hands from her face. She blows out the candles before hiding again.

"And you were making fun of me for being a virgin?" Jack comments jokingly. "You're so easily embarrassed when people do things for you."

"Shut up," she says, pushing him away by her shoulders. "So, what else do we do at the Mercer household on a birthday?" She accepts the piece of cake from Jeremy. "I mean, at any house really."

"Well, we let you pick a movie and everyone has to watch it. Of course, we gotta go get it first," Angel says. "So, any particular movies you've wanted to see over the last few years?" Aya thinks and shrugs.

"Not one that you'll want to see," she answers.

"Wait until it's Angel's birthday next week. We use it as the perfect opportunity to torture each other," Bobby says, trying to convince her to admit what she wants to see so that they can get a feel on the movies she likes. She thinks for a second longer before giving her answer.

"I want to see_ Day of the Dead_ for my birthday. I couldn't ever really see it," Aya says, shrugging when they all give her surprised looks. Aya watches as Bobby pulls out the movie from the bookshelf. "So, this is already costing you nothing. You guys have popcorn right? You can't watch a movie without popcorn or candy or soda."

"Are you stupid? Hell yeah we do," Angel says, pulling out a grocery bag of chocolate and grabbing a few bags of popcorn. "I hope you like Sprite." Aya smiles, feeling warm and welcome, even though she isn't supposed to do so. She brushes her hair out of her face, and lets Jeremy and Bobby get her out of her seat to drag her into the living room to sit down and get ready for the movie.

"This isn't my kind of movie, so I'll be going to bed," Evelyn says, going toward her bedroom. "I hope you've enjoyed your birthday, darling. And the rest of it too."

"Thanks, Evelyn," Aya whispers. "It does mean a lot to me. I hope to make this up to you soon." Evelyn nods her head, dismissing it immediately because she feels that it's unnecessary.

"Alright, alright! Here is to our zombie loving sister!"

* * *

Midway through the movie, Jack realizes just how busy everyone was over the day. Bobby is practically falling off his chair, Angel and Jeremy are both asleep on the floor, supporting each other with a bowl of popcorn between them that if you move it then they'll both fall. Aya is sitting with her knees up to her chest and her eyes drooping.

Jack pinches Aya in the side, and she jumps, nearly waking Bobby up, or more awake than he is now. "Not funny, Mercer," she says, putting her legs down and grabbing a blanket. "I'm awake, Jack, so chill out. I won't rest until I finish the movie."

"Good. I'd hate for you to miss the rest of this zombie movie," he mumbles, when it's actually because he doesn't want to be alone.

"So, how much was it?" she asks. "I mean, I don't care much when it's five dollars, but that wasn't five Washingtons." Jack shrugs and hands her his popcorn bowl. "Thanks... You've barely touched it. Are you sick, idiot?" Jack backs away as she holds a hand toward him.

"Oh, my God... what happened?" she whispers, concern and fear tightening up her chest. "Did someone threaten you? God, I should have known that this would happen."

"No one did anything, Aya," Jack says. "It's completely fine. I just don't like being touched sometimes." Aya nods, turning her attention back to the movie for a while longer. Aya reaches her hand up and feels his forehead.

"You're sweating."

"Am not."

"Jack." Aya sighs before turning toward the television again. "Fine. Don't let me help." She sits back and finishes the movie before going upstairs to her room. She closes the door, taking her little bag and beginning to put all of her new things in a place where she can keep up with them before feeling the necklace at her throat.

She grabs the diary of her mother's and opens it to the first page. Aya remembers back when her uncle lived with them before his accident and she used to have time for jokes and colorful words and ideas. On that one page, written when Andrea was fifteen, Aya learns that her mother had crazy ideas from the very beginning. She laughs at one idea/joke of crossing a goat and a goose.

Her door creaks open, and Jack enters her room. She looks at him with a confused expression, especially when he sits next to her and curls up on her pillow. "Read to me?"

"Eh?"

"Read to me? Please, Aya?" Jack whispers. "I'm almost begging here." Aya sighs, placing the a marker there before moving toward Jack. She pushes some of his hair farther up, placing her hand against his forehead and feels him shiver from the cold of her hand.

"You're hot as hell," she whispers, getting up and heading toward the bathroom for a wash cloth.

He chuckles. "So you've told me," he says back. Aya smiles at his attempt at humor before looking back.

"I'll be back in a minute. Don't get up, alright?" she orders him. He nods, turning back over and shivering again. Aya returns a minute later with ice in the wash cloth. She pulls him over, placing it against his head. He smiles at her. "Still wanna hear about my mother?" He nods.

"I can't sleep," he says. "Might as well learn about where you get so much of who you are from." Aya nods her head, keeping him close as she read page after page of her mother's handwriting. She constantly got more ice and opened a window, trying to cool him down as much as she could.

She gets up from her bed as she finally gets him to go to sleep, going towards her window before she sees a light from under her bed. She crawls under and grabs her phone, opening the anonymous message she is sure comes from Mark.

It isn't.

"'I see Jack Mercer is your favorite, Jenna... or maybe I should call you Aya?'" Aya opens the attachment, showing a picture of her from no more than an hour ago with the lamp on and Jack is lying on her pillows, laughing at a suggestion Andrea made in her writing. She looks out the window before grabbing her duffel bag.

She calls Pete. "Pete, don't trust Abby. Gunner told me not to, and he went to extremes to get a message to Jenna. Be careful until I come back?"

"What?"

"Be careful and don't trust Abby. I'm going to disappear for a while, alright? Don't track my phone and tell Evelyn not to worry. Do I need to text it?"

"Please do."

"See you, Pete.. Hopefully." She hangs up and types it out before sending the message to Pete. She grabs a few tank tops without designs and several pairs of jeans, getting her spare pair of contact lens. Jack stirs when she zips up her duffel bag.

"Aya?"

"Go to sleep, Jackie," she whispers. She sits down next to him, shushing him as he begins to protest. "I'll come back soon. I promise. I just can't be around for now. But I will come back for you and Bobby and Angel and Jeremy..."

"Where are you going?" Jack asks, and Aya can tell he doesn't fully understand.

"Somewhere you can't follow me. I'm going to leave a note for Evelyn. It will contain one of my mom's old remedies and a personal note so she doesn't worry."

"Mkay..." Jack lays his head back down as Aya puts the aforementioned note next to the bed on the nightstand. She grabs her stuffed lion and writes a note for Jack at the bottom.

_Don't worry. Gone for now. Blood coming. Be careful. Check in before the week is over._

_Aya_

_P.S. Jack, take care of my darling Luna._


	9. Chapter 9

Aya wakes up the next morning, ruffling her hair and looking around. She grabbed a hotel room, going under Jenna Mathers as she has nothing left to really lose. Her phone goes off, and she sees a message from Mark. "Big meeting tonight. No chance. About you. Confirmed." Aya sighs and leans back, wishing she could be someone else for just a few minutes.

Getting up and getting dressed, Aya wonders if anyone is awake and how they are.

* * *

"What the hell?!" Bobby yells upon reading the note. Jack's fever has gone down, and he's now able to understand most of what is going on. "She packed up her shit and left?! In the middle of the night?!"

"She had reason, Bobby," Angel says. "She was really a part of this family last night. There is no way that she wants to be gone and away from us. She just can't, man." But Angel knows that he's trying to convince himself of the same thing. It's hard to imagine that Aya would do this, especially after last night. So why is she gone? Why...

Bobby slams his hand on the counter again before something clicks in his head. "Wait... Ma said that Andrea, Aya's biological mother, was murdered, right?" Jeremy nods. "Of course. She asked me... Jesus, shit!"

"It's not just her mother," Jack says. "It's her old boyfriend too. She planned to marry him. Had a promise ring and everything."

"What do you know about this, Jackie?" Bobby growls.

"I don't know... I can't connect the dots to know, Bobby." Jack thinks for a second before saying, "Wasn't it a gang thing? In some little diner?" Evelyn comes into the kitchen, perfectly calm and not worrying at all about her adopted daughter. "Mom?"

"Hm?"

"Are you worried at all for Aya?"

"No. She said that she's going to come back, didn't she?" Evelyn hums to herself. "I think she fully plans on it. She put it in writing. I remember her mother used to put all sorts of things in writing for you. Andrea didn't mean anything until she had it written down on a piece of paper and had given it to you." Bobby and the boys give her a weird look.

"You knew her mother?"

"Yes. Knew Aya when she was young too. I never made the connection until recently. I went to that little diner so often that Andrea always just brought my food out to me and gave me a smile. She was such a good waitress. Quick, exact. I never met someone unsatisfied with her," Evelyn said. "Most just never left a good tip. So she couldn't make much money, and the best she could give Aya was one day off when it was her birthday. She would stick a candle in a cookie for her, sing for her, and then watch a few movies they had seen a million times."

The boys pay attention as she speaks. "So what happened to her?"

"I had left long before she died. Everyone there claimed it was a gang shooting, and then there was one little voice, shouting above and calling them all a bunch of liars. She claimed someone murdered Andrea over a bit of money. I knew too, because I was the only one Andrea told. She took one hundred dollars out of the thousand in the envelope. Planned on paying it back, too. She just wanted to buy her daughter a pretty little dress... Andrea was a good mother."

"What is Aya doing then?"

"Hunting them down, of course. Andrea had done the same thing when someone killed Aya's father. Those two are almost exactly alike."

* * *

Aya walks down the street, gun concealed and a few knives hidden while her crow bar is easily seen. She knows how odd she looks, and she can't say that she cares. Today is Sunday, so Abby should be somewhere Aya already knows about. The bookstore. Aya enters and takes a seat next to the redhead. "Hello, Jenna. Any news?"

"Yes. Apparently an informant has gone rogue," she answers, grabbing a discarded book and opening it. She already read the book, so she just picks a spot. She sees Abby tense out the corner of her eye, and feels her suspicions are already confirmed. "Heard anything from anyone recently?"

"Only that there's supposed to be a huge meeting. He said we can't get close though," she answers. Aya sighs, hating what she knows is coming. "I think we should go. I'm a good shot, so I can easily get him-"

"I think we shouldn't speak so publicly, Abby. Let's go down the street to the alleyway." Aya keeps herself together until they're well into the darkness of the smelly area. She leans against a wall, glaring at Abby. "You have five seconds to come clean," Aya says. "Or else I will stab you. Jenna Mathers doesn't exist and they will never find me." Her knife comes from her boot. "Tell me why Gunner said you're 'up close and personal' with Blood?"

"Wh-what?"

"Wrong answer. One more chance, Abby. Why did Gunner tell me you're fucking Blood?" Aya hears nothing and sighs. "I actually liked you..." She covers her face before jabbing the knife in her stomach, making sure to twist it on the way in and on the way out. "See you later, Abby." Abby attempts to say something, but ends up saying nothing before Aya slits her throat.

"Damn..." Aya cleans her knife before going another way, coming out at Pete's. She enters the shop only to have Bobby push her against the wall. She immediately reverts to her weird voice. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, me. Where is she?!" he yells. Aya sees Pete, staring at her with narrowed eyes, before her gaze passes over Angel and Jeremy, stopping at Jack. She notices how he looks and represses a smile. He used the stupid tea. "Hey! Where is she?"

"Who? Aya?"

"Yeah. Aya."

"Well... If she isn't with you, then I don't know," Aya answers. "Maybe you should think about that, kid. Now, if you don't mind, I have to work." She pushes his hands away before being grabbed again and pushed into a stack of clothes on a table. She flips over the table and feels something in her break. She looks up at Bobby as he comes to her again. "If she isn't with you, then I don't fucking know."

"Wrong answer," Bobby growls, pulling her up roughly by her arm. Aya pulls her elbow up and hears a crack from his nose. He curses and she cracks her neck as Angel and Jeremy both watch her carefully.

Aya looks at Pete before deciding it best to leave. Jack quickly gets in her way. "Move," she whispers in a low voice. "Now. Get the fuck out of my way." He stands there and she looks up at him before pushing Jack out of the way. "I said to move." She leaves the store and goes down the street, trying to leave a trail for them to find if they were serious about pursuing someone who doesn't even exist.

* * *

Jack answers the door while Bobby presses ice to his eye. He's surprised to see Mrs. Jackson and Eva. "Uhm... Hello?"

"Is Aya here?! I'm supposed to spend the day with her for her birthday!" Eva says, rushing inside. "Yay! Aya!" Mrs. Jackson, however, notices the look on Jack's face and can't help but feel worried.

"Where is she?"

"She left a note and said that she will be back," he answers. "I can take Eva out.." Mrs. Jackson shakes her head. "How are you going to tell her?"

"Same way I've had to tell her before. Aya is busy and just can't make the time for her birthday. Eva will get mad, but she'll get over it once she sees Aya again," Mrs. Jackson answers. "Eva, come on, darling. She can't come play with you today, but she'll make the time soon. She doesn't have enough time for her own birthday."

Eva pouts, and after a few moments of searching for Aya, she ends up following after her mother. Jack closes the door and looks at his brothers. "I don't suppose you have any other ideas of where she could quite possibly be from what mom told you?"

Bobby sighs. "Nothing. It was that Jenna girl, Gunner... And a dead girl. I think we hid the body well enough that no one will find her, don't you?"

"Who? Abby? Oh yeah," Angel says. "In a body bag where she'll be burned and no one can find her. We covered the tracks well enough I think... Wait, Jack, didn't you say that Gunner gave _Aya_ the note not to trust Abby?"

"Yeah."

"And we saw Jenna shortly afterwards, right? I mean, the Abby girl was dead for only minutes before she led the trail to her then purposely went cold," Jeremy points out. "It doesn't seem like there's enough time between then..."

"Unless Aya managed to get the message to Jenna really early. Besides... She had a different jacket on. A black one, remember?" Bobby says. "Jack, go look and see if Aya's black jacket is up there."

"Wait, do you think-"

"That Jenna and Aya are the same person? Hell yeah," Bobby interrupts Angel. He runs a hand through his hair. He tries to remember both girls perfectly clear and comes up with both of them in his mind. "My biggest doubts remain the eye color and hair color."

"It isn't," Jack says as he comes from upstairs. He has something in his hand, and throws it on the table. "It won't for long. Put one of those in." Bobby gives him a weird look before complying. "Now, imagine him with Aya's eyes."

"It's a perfect fit," Angel says in a low voice. "So all she would need is a wig and she could go around as someone completely different, even going by a different name. It would take getting up close and personal with both girls to know if it's true."

"Taking into consideration that we're the only ones to actually know Aya, no body could tell the difference. I doubt any of the people she went after would go after a real identity. If they did, they probably didn't look in the right places." Bobby sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "I doubt anyone other than ourselves would know that Aya gets so hot that often goes without at least one article of clothing to make that connection."

"The question remains... how do we find Aya? Is she going by her name or Jenna's? Hell, what is Jenna's last name?" Angel feels himself getting confused as he can hardly keep the names and last names straight. Talking about Jenna is talking about Aya, talking about Aya is talking about Jenna, and Jenna is Jenna, and Aya is Aya.

"Probably whatever she wants it to be in any situation," Jeremy says. "So in this situation, what would it?"

"Something people could stop at but not remember," Jack answers. "A name that stands out slightly, just not to the point of special recognition if they heard it again." Everyone can say that they agree with Jack. She has a sense of humor like that. "But if we go after her then she'll have to move constantly, won't she?"

"It doesn't matter," Bobby says, giving his brother a 'what-the-fuck' look. "She needs to come home. I don't care if the fucking president told her to do this. It had best be for a million dollars if it was him."

"Bobby, this is worth a million dollars to her," Angel says, seeing what Jack sees. "She would give anything to finish this, and this is the only way she can do it without having us in the middle by default."

"Look, I'll see if she goes to school tomorrow," Jack says. "If she does, I'll ask her about it. If she doesn't, we do this crazy idea of tracking her down."

* * *

Aya grabs the guy by his shirt collar. "What's the plan to find the girl taking Blood's men out?" she growls through her teeth. "Every three seconds is one jab. One... Two.."

"I ain't telling you shit," he answers. She stabs his leg with her knife. "Shit..." She starts counting again. At three she makes a move and he grabs her hand. "Wait... The plan is to follow a trail Abby left for her. Her informant is supposed to tell her that there's a real obvious trail to Blood, and it is. He's being ballsy now. Thinks he has a big enough dick to take her on."

"How is the informant supposed to know?"

"Because he was there. He's also in Blood's pocket. That's why she's hit so many dead ends. The guy wants to help, but Blood has his family at gunpoint. He has given her real information, just not enough to cause a real difference." She lets him go. "Hey, are you her?"

"I am. I should kill you..." Aya looks at him. "But it'd be useless. You're only a high school student getting into something he has no idea about." She begins walking away. "Get out of it while you can, kid. You've only been to a few meetings, the biggest being about me. I promise that you'll be fine if you do. Once I'm done, you'll be fine."

"What about you?"

"I'll never be safe again if I don't kill him," she answers, leaving him alone.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack looks out of Aya's bedroom window. "It's been two days..." He sighs as snows begins falling. Aya hadn't shown up at school on either Monday or Tuesday, and it was killing the family. The boys left Jack alone to go look out, and Evelyn was napping in her bedroom. He's holding Aya's lioness, to which if he were honest never quite left his arms. "Aya, when are you coming home?"

"Well, I actually come back pretty often, it's just normally in the middle of the night so I can make sure that you guys are okay." Jack whirls at her voice, surprised at how quiet she is to have opened the door and go through her book bag. "Oh... I said that out loud. Whoops. I guess I should actually sleep tonight." She pulls out a knife. "Hah. Got it."

"Aya," Jack breathes as he reaches toward her, and she puts a hand up, telling him to stop. She puts on a smile and comes to sit next to him. She fiddles with the knife, trying to stay out of the direct line of sight of the window. "Aya, where have you been?"

"Places," she answers vaguely. She brushes a bit of snow out her hair and rests her head against the wall. "You guys know that I'm trying to protect you, right?" Her hazel eyes look up to meet his. "I really am. If I had another way to, I swear I would."

"Why are you here now then? Am I dreaming?" he asks, moving closer to her. "Please tell me that I'm not dreaming..."

"I can't, Jackie," she answers, knowing full well that this isn't just a figment of his imagination born from worry and missing his sister. "Is this a dream? If so, is it my dream or is it yours?" He looks away and she reaches forward to turn him back to her. "How do you want me to prove this is a dream? Make fun of you, do something that the Aya you know would never do?"

Jack stares at her for a moment. He leans in, knowing how Aya would react if this were real. If he really isn't dreaming. She sits still. "In a dream, how would you react to this?" he asks, just a breaths away from her. Aya looks down before flicking back to his sky blue eyes. She remembers back to something similar to this, only her heart didn't beat nearly as fast last time.

"Awake, she would push you away, wouldn't she?"

"Awake, Aya would do what she could to prove that this is just a dream. She would do what it took to get me to just agree and make it look so very dreamlike," he answers. "Tell me I'm lying." Aya keeps eye contact with him. He slides a hand up and into her hair, which he notices looks rather neat for her on a good day. "I'm awake, Aya, and you know it." She splits her eyes to the side, and sighs.

"Jackie, you should just lay down," she whispers, putting a hand to his shoulder and pushing him gently. "The guys will be here eventually, and I have to be gone when they get here. As in my tracks in the snow are covered." He keeps a strong hold and she laughs. "C'mon, Jackie, quit being difficult."

"If I quit being difficult, you'll leave again," he murmurs, resting his head on her shoulder. "You can't leave. Please, just leave it all alone and stay home. You can die if you go out there again." He feels her tense slightly, and closes his eyes. "Please, Aya?"

"Jackie, I have to."

"No you don't," he says. "Aya, you don't." He sits back up, looking at her. She tilts her head down, pulling away and attempting to get up. He pulls her back down, and she sighs. He sees her shoulder shake and tilts her head up. "Why are you crying?"

"Because if I don't leave, then we will do something we will both regret. If I don't leave, you will be a prime target for him. If I don't fucking leave..." she trails off and Jack shakes out the doubt in his head before pulling her close to him until they are a breath away from each other. "Jackie... Let me go..."

"If you won't stay," he says. "I won't let go." He closes the distance and Aya cries for two different reasons as she kisses him back for just a few moments then pulling away. "Aya, I'm sorry." Aya shakes her head before getting up and opening her window. "Aya, I'm sorry."

"It's not just you, Jackie," she says before sliding out. "It is not just you."

* * *

Bobby finds Jack lying in Aya's room when he gets back with the other two. "Jackie, what's up?"

"She was here," he says. "Aya was here, right in front of me, and she left." He looks at Bobby. "Why couldn't I make her stay?" Bobby gives him a weird look before seeing a knife on the floor that he was sure he put in her bag after finding it on the porch. "She came back for it. She's in the house every night, Bobby, and we never see her. She told me."

"She... was here?" Bobby picks up the knife. He sits on the bed at Jack's feet. "Damn..." Angel knocks at the door and Jeremy behind him. "How do we keep missing her?"

"Because she wants to be missed. She left this on the floor, as though she meant to leave it another way," Jack says. "I read it. She's following an obvious trail, and making sure that the guy she's after knows that she's after him. She doesn't feel like she can trust anyone except for us." Bobby opens the note, and sees that he isn't lying to them.

"How do we catch her then?"

"We don't. We have to wait until she's ready for us to find her," Bobby growls. "And there is no telling when she'll want that."

"She'll come back soon," Angel says. "She has to..."

* * *

Aya walks past the door, wearing a small dress that barely leaves anything to the imagination and smells smoke immediately. She enters the club, dark hair curled and blue contact lens in. She sees the man she's looking for and takes a seat not far away from him. She looks older than she is, and just right at the way she knows he wants his ladies to be.

She sees him take the bait shortly after catching sight of her. She flips her hair over her shoulder, feeling highly uncomfortable in the dress she wears. "What can I do for a pretty young lady like you?" She smiles. "I'm supposed to be waiting for another pretty girl, but I think that you can serve your uses until she gets here."

"I'm sure I can," Aya says, feeling contempt for the man. She never caught his name, and she's happy she didn't. Who the hell would want a bastard like this to actually have a name in her past? Forget how freaking drunk he is and smells. She lets him grab her hand as he leads her away into a back alley. As soon as they're out of sight, she takes his hand and propels him into the wall.

"Now, it's time to help me, not you, you drunk bastard," she hisses in his ear. "Where is it all going down? I have a date and a time, just not a place. Give me a fucking place and I'll let you go back inside and get a few drinks before knocking you out. I'm sure the ladies will find it amazingly hot." She bends his arm back, making sure to muffle his drunken cries.

"Blood said to meet outside of this stupid little bookstore. Said that Abby loved it there and spent most of her time there. Plus he wants you to die in the same place his girl died."

"You're of some use. Too bad I don't like you," she sneers before hitting his head into the wall and effectively knocking him out. She wipes her hands off before straightening her dress and ruffling her hair. She grabs him and lifts him over her shoulder, dragging him inside the bar. She leaves him in a chair, smiling at the bartender and complaining about horny drunks.

On her way out, Aya looks at the time and begins heading over to the Mercer household. It's a Tuesday night, so she has a few days to waste. Might as well get a feel for where the boys will be over the next few days. She goes through the back, finding the key. Peeking inside, she sees Bobby on the couch sleeping with his hand in a bowl of popcorn.

Aya giggles and shakes her head before grabbing a blanket and covering Bobby up. She kisses his temple and he stirs slightly. She grabs the remote and turns it off before setting it down and puts the bowl on the floor. She climbs upstairs and opens the first door, Angel's slightly. She sees him as he usually is when asleep, sprawled out and uncomfortable looking. Going into Jeremiah's room, she hears him snore and holds back a small bit of laughter. Evelyn's door is already open, and when Aya looks inside, she sees the old woman sleeping peacefully. She goes to Jack's room, right before hers and sees Jack holding Luna close. She nods before going into her room and grabbing the knife she left.

Aya crawls down the stairs silently, making it out the door after blowing a kiss to the family.


	11. Chapter 11

Aya goes to school Thursday and Friday, careful to not end up alone with Jack. All of her work is turned in, even the days she missed, and the teachers are impressed. She can't pretend that it was easy to do five days of work in one night, but she accomplished it. She couldn't sleep once Wednesday came around and knew such luck wouldn't come around again on Thursday. So she caught up on work.

It's after school now, and Aya sighs as she leans against her locker. "Now I have to wait until six... Four hours isn't so bad after a few days." She sighs again, blowing hair from her face. She opens her eyes as Mark leans against the locker next to her own. Mark isn't much older than she, only seventeen, and goes to high school on the other side of town. She's always known that Mark was cute, but today was especially so. His hair has a look that suggests he just rolled out of bed, but Aya knows that it takes a lot to tame that blonde monster, and his blue eyes were alight with excitement.

"I have actual information," he says. Aya hesitates since she recently learned that he works for Blood, the man she's after for killing not only mother, but Collin, the boy she loved. "I'm serious this time. I have the whole lay out of the plan. They have so many letters that it amazes even myself. However, since I devised it, I have made a blind spot just. For. You."

Aya looks at the paper in his hands. "Can I trust that it isn't the one spot that will most definitely kill me? After all, you're the one who betrayed me. Maybe I should've beat you up, asking for answers I didn't know you even had." She slams her locker door shut, tightening the straps on her bag angrily. She doesn't have time for this. She has to be ready with her own plans and several backups. Mark grabs her arm.

"Trust me again. I swear that this is real. Unless I'm being lied to, and I'm the one who knows everything about you which makes me better suited for the job that they were assigning." Aya looks away, hazel eyes meeting the floor. Mark sighs and drops her arm. "At least look at it and set it up around the focal point I made for you. I'm trying to apologize, Aya."

Aya takes the paper, seeing the hallway thin out and Jack at the only exit. She breathes out a heavy sigh. "I'm not done with you, Mark, but I have more persistent people asking for answers that I trust." Aya pauses. "Thanks though. Had I not learned about your true allegiance, I would still trust you and use this to my advantage. We'll see if I'm dead by the end of tonight." She smiles at him. "Not like I have much choice in the matter."

She walks off, shoes squeaking slightly as she shuffles, trying to blend in with the group to get out of the hallway. Aya knows that it's futile, that Jack is watching her every move until he can get her alone without completely missing her. She's done good so far, but purely through changing jackets in the hallway and getting out of sight as soon as she got outside. Basically, it was through luck.

As she walks out, she feels a hand on her arm and shrugs it off. It finds her once again and she looks at the person holding it. Jack glares down at her, and she knows that she's in for more than a lecture if she doesn't get away now. "Aya Mercer," he growls, anger decorating his features. "You are in so much trouble." He jerks her arm and she winces at how tight his grip is. It doesn't help that some asshole sent by Blood had around tightened his belt around her arm for "experimental purposes"... Yeah he is definitely a dead son of a bitch.

Aya says nothing as he leads her out, his grip sure to make those bruises have another layer on them. "Jack, loosen up," she says, bridging on tears. He turns around to look at her, and she is almost sure that he's going to slap her or punch her or kick her or all three. She braces herself, knowing that if it came to it, she'd never be able to hit Jack Mercer. "Please. I already have bruises." He looks down, glaring at where he keeps a hold on her.

"Why?"

"Some body tried to tear my arm up... He held me down pretty tightly and I have a scar from where he almost succeeded." She tries a smile. "I can wake up if you're nice about it." Jack doesn't smile back, and Aya knows that she's fucked up real bad. But he does loosen his grip and she sighs in audible relief. He forces her into an alley near the school and bookshop. Aya hits the wall and falls on her ass.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Bobby growls as he makes his, Angel's, and Jerry's presence known. Aya scrambles up, looking somewhere between fearful and joyous to see them. She doesn't answer, hazel eyes searching for an escape route. Bobby comes closer, slamming his fist into the wall next to her. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Aya's breath quickens and she makes a run toward the darkness the alley provides. Angel catches her, holding her so she can't move. "Let me go!" she screams. "Let me go!" Fear overcomes the joy and anger that they would do this to her, and tears begins to leak at the corner of her eyes. She remembers that Mark was in the area, and he's a fast runner. "Mark!"

"Who the fuck is Mark?" Bobby demands from her. She says nothing, hand reaching into her pocket and hitting his speed dial. "I asked a question, Aya!" She flinches as he holds a hand up. It takes her a moment to realize that it isn't to strike her, but the sudden alarm in his eyes is to good of a weapon to not use, no matter how much it hurts.

"Bobby, is she actually scared?" Jerry asks, and Aya plays the part. "Jesus, she used to raise a hand right back when you did that shit. What the hell happened to her?" She lets out a sob, a real one she could've been holding back, and wriggles in Angel's arms once more. They converse a few more minutes, mostly sharing looks about what to do with her. A yelp from Jack gives Aya the signal that it's time to get the fuck out. She slams her elbow back, knocking the air out of Angel and leaving him wheezing. She grabs Bobby's wrist and slams him into Jerry, running toward Mark as he holds down Jack.

"Let's go!" she yells once across the street. Mark holds onto Jack, trying his hardest to hold him down. "Mark! Come on!" Bobby and Jerry are coming out of the alley. "Mark!" He looks up at her screech, and sees her actual fear before scrambling up and away. He grabs her arm, pulling her along as Bobby and Angel takes off after her, Jerry more concerned about Jack.

Aya's hair flies behind her, and she regrets not getting it cut again. Waist length hair is a lot of hair, especially when it's down and perfect for people to grab and yank her back. Luckily she has Mark though, who makes sure that she can keep far enough ahead. She gets tired relatively quickly and slows down. Mark drags her more than her actually running, leading her through a maze of back alleys.

Mark stops at the diner in which her mother worked at five minutes later, and they both enter quickly. The cook, the same as when Andrea had once worked there, sees them out of breath and ushers them into the storage room. Before she closes the door, Aya whispers, "Thanks, Cookie." Cookie winks and shuts the door.

Aya presses her ear up against the door, listening hard. She hears their voices before a crash occurs and the door opens followed shortly by a slam. Aya falls against the door, unable to catch her breath and she cries into the darkness. Two arms wrap around her, and Mark shushes her, rocking her like a young child. When Cookie comes back, Aya feels another body hold onto her.

"I want my mom," Aya cries. "I want Collin..."

"I know, darlin'," Cookie says. "I know you do."

* * *

Jack enters the house first, followed quickly by Angel, Jerry, and Bobby. He opens the fridge and grabs a beer for each of them, handing them out. "Why would she do this?" he asks himself as Evelyn comes in. He looks in the mirror at the split lip he earned from that Mark bastard. Evelyn hums softly to herself.

"I got a call from Aya today," she says, grabbing a glass. "She said not to worry. She promised to be back by midnight tomorrow and that she'll call if something goes wrong and has to take even longer to tie up some loose ends." The boys all stare at her.

"How can you stand this, ma?" Bobby asks after a long moment. "If you know where she's going to be, then tell us so that we can bring her back before she goes to jail. Murder can make her an adult in the court's eyes."

It takes Evelyn a long time to answer. "Andrea once told me something that has stuck with me. I know it sticks with Aya too. 'A crime is a crime, no matter the cause or justification for it. When you kill, you have held a man's life in your hands, his future, his past, his present, and crushed it. Not only have you crushed his, but his family's also. That's why when people kill, they don't think about those things.' Aya does. Every time she pulls that trigger or tightens her grip around someone's throat, she knows what she's doing. And she doesn't ignore it."

"How do you know she doesn't ignore it, mom?" Jack asks, his bottle already half empty.

Evelyn laughs. "She told me once that if she takes a father away from someone and he wants her dead for it, she'll be prepared to either die by his hand or kill him too. A brother, and son... Even a friend. Andrea did too. She taught Aya more in those eight years than schooling has in most of her life. Shame though that she died."

"That doesn't mean much," Angel speaks up.

"It means everything. To Aya, at least." Evelyn sits down in her chair, smiling. "If you want to cause Aya that much more misery in return for attempting to stop blood from staining her hands, then she should be at the bookstore by six o'clock tonight."

* * *

Mark lays out the plan on the table. Aya quickly runs over the paper, eyes still red and bloodshot. "So, my safe haven is this corner right here?" she asks, pointing to a corner. Mark nods.

"You can't lean forward and when you kill him, you have to be quick about it. Trust me, no body on duty is going to go along with that Blood was murdered. He's pissed all of them off, and they want him dead. If they say anything, it'll be some fake description that the cops can't go on," Mark explains, grinning at her. "I did good, huh?"

"Excellent, actually," she praises. "So, I'm here, Blood is here, and there is... six mean inside and seven men outside. How do I get out?"

"Ah, that is the tricky part that I had to be extra careful about. Remember the guy that sold me out?"

"Hell yeah. I told him to get out of there as fast as possible."

"He didn't. And he's on our side. He's going to be alone with this guy on the rooftop across the street. Realize that he's the only pair," Mark says with a bigger grin. "He's going to twist the bastard's neck and take out the guys outside and three inside. I have someone hidden behind the counter to take out the other two."

"Jesus you're good," she whistles. "Reminds me of how we met."

"Yep. Planning revenge on our second grade teacher after she made it public about your mom in the middle of class." He sighs happily. "That was the day..."

"It was a damn good day," Aya agrees, seeing that she has only one hour before going to meet Blood for his death sentence, delivered personally by the blonde bitch. She grabs her gun and checks the clip. "Where are you going to be?"

"Not around," Mark answers. "I'm going to set myself far enough away to make it so that I'm not even in Detroit between now and tomorrow." He grabs his things. "I'll see you."


	12. Chapter 12

Aya isn't very conspicuous except for the fact that she has a book in her hand once six o'clock hits. True to his word, Blood enters the shop barely a second after the clock changed and the leftover "costumers" left the store with or without their purchases. Aya sits still, reading her book in the blonde wig and blue lens as he brings a chair up and sets next to her. "So you're the pretty girl that's been asking about me." It isn't a question, and even if it were, Aya doesn't feel obligated to answer shit coming from him.

"And you're the handsome lad who pissed me off," she says in reply, keeping her voice light and casual. Blood gives a smile, and Aya takes all of him in with one glance. He doesn't look like he'd be in charge around this area of Detroit. He actually looks like some jackass knock off dealer, weird ass facial hair included. She turns the page. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance? Well, I'm lying. The hellish feeling of being scrutinized and downgraded with every word and twitch of the lip that counts as a smile but looks like a sneer?"

Blood laughs, and Aya glares at her book for a moment. "Pull the mask off honey. I'm only here to give you what you want. Death."

"I want death, true. So how shall I kill you? Slit your throat? Execution?"

"Not my death, doll," he says, and she feels something within her rise like a cobra. "You death. Now, we aren't allowed to bring firearms inside this pretty place, so you can either die by blade or go outside to a nice surprise. I don't give a shit how you die; I give a shit that you die." He lights a cigarette and Aya feels the need to burn him with either items. He leans back. "So what will it be?"

"Let's not drag this out, Blood," she says simply. Her eyes flick up at him, and she eases the book closed. "I'm here for one reason. You wanted me to find that trail." He seems surprised for just a minute before a grin spreads. "You're going to die tonight, Blood. You're going to be with Abby once again, and I'm going to be here, living my normal life." She looks around to find three people standing in his group. "And from the looks of it... You're death is going to be sooner."

Blood takes a glance around before his eyes widen. Aya smirks. "You really should be a bit more observant. Not to mention just plain smarter in general." She pulls out a small pistol. "Sorry, Blood. But I'm not going to feel bad without you in the world." Aya pulls the trigger, releases, then pulls again. As she does, someone comes up from the counter with a shotgun, firing off at the final three. Aya stands quickly, taking off as one of the three manages a shot at the one behind the counter.

She takes off, running her short little legs into the alleyway behind the store. She pulls her hood over her face, continuing her long run to the safe point where she plans to hide out for the next twenty four hours. She feels like a piece of her has been restored, and smiles like the fool she is as she runs as far as she has to before entering the main street to seem like as much of a normal person as she is.

* * *

Jack sits in Aya's room, reading one of her many, many books. She checked it out a week ago, and he regrets reading it. A fucked up love story in his opinion. I mean, why would she want to read about a brother and sister falling in love while fighting demons? It's stupid and dumb. Of course, she finished the rest of the series in a week, so it can't be so bad. He sighs, looking out of her window.

Bobby said it was best not to go after Aya. Angel agreed, and Jerry just rolled with it. Jack wants to go right now, but knows he won't stand a chance without his brothers. Especially not against Aya. He hears a knock on her door, and looks up. Bobby peeks in. He looks at the book that Jack's reading and snorts. "Still reading those books Aya reads? She's going to be back by tomorrow, she said so."

"I believe her. Tomorrow just isn't now, Bobby," Jack says. "I'm ready for her to be home. For us to be a family again. She's part of us." He looks down at the book. "Besides, it isn't like we're going to have a clue what she's talking about when she gets back. Probably read a billion of books either as fucked up as this or more. I mean, who the hell falls in love with their biological sister?"

"Not much better than their adopted sister," he comments back. Jack glares at him. "Hey, don't get pissed off at me. It isn't my fault that went around kissing her. I'm sure she feels the same away about it." He sits on her bed, looking around. "She'll be happy to be back in here."

"As if she probably doesn't come in here every night, man," Angel says, entering the room. "Shit, probably brings that Mark guy with her too." He sits on the floor, leaning against her bed as Jerry leans against the wall. "Then again,he's probably pretty used to our house by now."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bobby asks, glaring hard at Angel.

"What do you think?" Angel retorts as Jack buries himself in the next book. "Bastard has probably been in here more than enough. Knows his way in and out without any of us noticing." Bobby keeps his glare. "Hey, it bothers me too, but she is a teenage girl."

"A teenage girl who doesn't do shit like that," Bobby growls back. "Not everyone is like La Vida Loca." Angel glares back and Jerry cuts in before it's a pissing war.

"What're we going to do when she gets back? Throw a party, punish her, or give her the Mercer Silent Treatment?"

"Silent sounds nice. Haven't done that one in a while," Bobby says thoughtfully, ignoring the purpose subject change. "After that, probably no cell phone, no leaving the house without Jackie, and definitely no participation in movie night for three weeks."

"Damn, that's mean, Bobby," Angel says with a grin. "Let's do it." The brothers continue small banter after that, and Jackie begins to understand Aya's reason for liking the series.

They actually weren't siblings.

* * *

Aya walks up the driveway at eleven fifty-seven to the Mercer household. She breathes on her hands, attempting to shake the chill away before knocking on the front door. Or, well, almost knocking on the front door. She breathes on her hands, rubbing them together as she sits on the chair. Evelyn is probably the only one awake and she has three minutes to herself what to say before she has to knock on the door. Well, two now.

She pulls her coat around herself tighter, wishing she'd actually worn a shirt instead of her bra. She looks down at her watch, before getting up. _You can do it_, she tells herself. _It's your family and you're coming back after a break that involved breaking a lot of laws. Come one, knock on the fucking... _door.

Aya gasps as she hears two loud banging noises and feels a pain in her torso. She falls to her knees before the door opens, another bang easily heard. Dark strands block some of Aya's hair, and she falls to the side, landing in someone's arms. She tries to move her head, only to find herself losing feeling as those strands become blobs of blurs.

"Get her in the car, Jack!"

"Oh, shit, oh shit, oh shit."

"Bobby, we can't stop the bleeding."

"Her heart is slowing down."

"Get her in the fucking car, Jack! Angel, shut up. Jerry, keep calm!"

Aya laughs at the irony, paining herself even more. One of those fuckers got her back after all. She briefly remember being dragged into the car before driving off from home again.

_Just as I was about to return to the Mercers... I return to you, mom, Collin._


	13. Chapter 13

The brothers sit in the waiting area, Evelyn somewhere nearby. Aya has been in surgery for about an hour and a half, but no one has said a word since she was taken out of sight. Bobby tries so hard not to blame himself for this, knowing that if he had said to go after her that she wouldn't be here now. Angel tries not to punch a wall after he shot the son of a bitch who shot Aya. Jerry begs for Aya's swift recovery after he thinks of all the time he could have spent with her. Jack pleads for the tears to not fall as he attempts to immerse himself in a book she likes.

Meanwhile, Aya dreams. She hears so many voices, so many memories, and sees so many faces. She is as close to paradise as she can be while managing to stay alive. Even as the doctors take out the bullets and stitch her together while keeping a constant flow of blood, she feels herself fading from the mortal realm... And she doesn't mind it so much.

* * *

_"Aya, Aya!" Hazel eyes turn to see the girl who had so many health issues running towards her. Aya bends down, picking her up and spinning her around. "You're finally here! We've been waiting for so long!" Jenna spins around, her yellow sundress flowing around her. "Come on, come on! You have to see everyone again!" Aya laughs, letting Jenna tug her by her hand excitedly, thinking that she acts so much like... what was her name?  
_

_"Hey, there!" Aya takes a whiff of her uncle's cologne. "How is my precious lioness doing?" Aya holds up for a moment, throwing her arms around her uncle and taking in a deep breath of him. She laughs, recognizing it every bit as the smell of oil that always hung around... what was his name? She shakes it off, choosing that it isn't all that important if she doesn't remember._

_As soon as her uncle lets her go, she feels two arms wrap around her waist. Her breath catches as a voice whispers, "I see you've been busy without me around, Aya." Aya shivers as his warm breath hits her neck, relaxing easily into his arms. "I think it's time we had some quality time." Aya feels a smile grace her face like she did when... damn it, she lost a name for a third time._

_Aya turns in his arms, kissing Collin on the cheek. "I think we should go somewhere too private for people our age." Collin grins and Aya smirks back. "Not for those dirty deeds, you pothead."_

_"Still not a pothead," he says, and pulls away for just a moment. Aya feels someone tickling her sides and laughs, unsure of why she's so giddy. She sees them everyday, there's no need to be so surprised to see them again. She faces her uncle again, Jenna standing behind him and bouncing up and down. Aya smiles, going to brush her hair off her shoulder..._

_Only to find air._

* * *

The doctors reported on Aya hours ago. The Mercer family, excluding Angel who had to work and Evelyn who also had a job for whatever odd reason other than her being extremely bored and not having enough to do with her time, sits in the room she provided. Jack sits at the window, Bobby next to Aya, and Jerry where he has a clear scan of the room.

Dr. Jefferson told them that if Aya plans on waking up that it has to be within the next forty eight hours or she won't be able to. Bobby finds this unsettling as he knows how much Aya loves her sleep. She always said that she could sleep for forever... Hopefully this isn't her wish becoming life.

Jack gives up on reading as she sits in her bed. She's pale, more so than she had been the last week, and her hair seems lifeless around her. His sky blue eyes don't want to imagine her hazel orbs as they stare blankly. He continues to watch her, praying for her to get up and come back. Looking at the clock, he sees she only has thirty two hours before the clock is out and she won't ever wake up again.

* * *

_Aya's laughter rings out as her uncle nearly trips on a glass of spilled water. Her sides hurt as he drags her down with him, grabbing the nozzle from the kitchen sink and spraying it. The water wets her hair and drenches her faces, clogging her nostrils so she can't breath. Her shrieks amaze herself as she fights him off as best she can without actually hurting him. It vaguely reminds of when... Damn it!_

_Aya knows something's wrong. She just... She has everything here. Her uncle, Jenna, Collin, her mother... Her mother? Aya sits up, pushing him off. She looks at the ground, panic and alarm setting in as something comes back jumps back as it fully registers._

_Her uncle died when she was seven years old during a boat accident. They never even found the body._

_Aya looks at him. "You died... When I was seven. Why the hell are you..." Her voice fades out as he vanishes between one blink and the next._

* * *

Bobby holds onto Aya's hand, Jack sleeping with her other hand in his. Jerry went back with Evelyn and Angel is watching television in an attempt to not fall asleep so he can be awake when she's up once more. He looks as Aya takes a deep breath, a tear slipping form the corner of her eye though there is nothing sad in her expression. Bobby wipes it away for her, only to see another follow.

Jack opens his eyes, looking at the clock in time for his alarm. She has one more day. If she isn't awake by tomorrow, then she's never going to wake up. He nods, turning off the alarm. Twenty four hours.. She has to wake up.

Angel pats Bobby on the back before leaving for work. "Jack, you goin' to school?" he asks, making sure. Jack shakes his head once, sitting up to get a better look at Aya. "Bobby, you don't have work until nine, right?"

"I took today off. With pay. Boss said to consider it a debt paid."

* * *

_Now officially freaking out, Aya stands up once more. She walks into the living room where Collin and Jenna are seated. She looks around, trying to find something out of the ordinary. Maybe she'd just been tripping up, her mind finally cracking. He always said it would happen someday... Shit, who said it?_

_"Aya!" Collin walks to her, wrapping his arms around her. Aya smiles, faking in an attempt to come off as normal. Collin frowns, but decides to ignore it. He nuzzles her neck and Aya giggles, not as into it as she normally is. "What's wrong?" Aya shakes her head, shrugging, staring at Collin. "Aya, don't bullshit me."_

_"Where are we? I don't remember you and Jenna meeting."_

_"Because they didn't." Aya turns around to see a once tired face now young and youthful once more. "This is all in your head. People who remind you of your family. Jenna takes-" Aya can't make out the garbled words. "Collin covers - and -, while my brother presents - and -." Aya shakes her head._

_"I can't understand, mom. You're not saying anything but a bunch of sounds." Andrea smiles knowingly. "Mom, explain what's happening! Mom!" Andrea fades away as Collin growls._

_"So you've forgotten already, sis? We're you family now. Someone for you to return to."_

_"I don't have any siblings," Aya says with a shaky voice. "Collin, what is it?"_

_"Aya! You promised to spend time with me!" Jenna yells, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. Aya smiles gently, kneeling down next to her. "Aya, what happened to Eva and Aya time? You promised me."_

_"Eva?"_

_"Yes, Eva. Who else would I be? Your mommy just told you."_

* * *

Bobby sighs again, watching her. He feels like something is missing from her. Something is going on in that little head of hers that no one will quite be able to guess unless she tells everyone herself. Jack runs a hand through his hair. "She only has twenty hours left. When is she going to wake up?"

"She might not, Jackie," Bobby grunts. He stands up, taking out a few dollar bills. "Want anything to drink or eat?"

"Nah, I'm good." Bobby shrugs his shoulders and exits, leaving Jack alone with Aya. Jack watches her, brushing a few strays hairs out of her face. "Eva..." Jack's breath halts. Her hand squeezes his tightly, and Jack knows that if he isn't holding her hand then they would be clenched. "Bobby!" Jack calls as the door opens and closes.

Bobby comes rushing in, placing the cans of soda and bag of chips down where he can remember in his hurry. He grabs her other hand. "She's sweating," he notes. "What the hell is going through her mind?"

"I don't know, and I don't think I even wanna know."

* * *

_"Mom!" Aya yells as she tries to block out the two in front of her. "Mommy!" She leans against the wall as memories flash through her head. "Mom, please, help me!" She pulls at her hair, her short tendrils that are steadily growing. "Mom!"  
_

_"Shh," whispers a voice as two arms wrap around her. "I'm sorry, princess. You were so close to us that I had to do something." Aya whimpers, grabbing the two arms like a lifeline. "I'm going to show you something, princess. Something important to me and to you." She kisses Aya's forehead as the room transforms. Aya hears two voices, muted, as they yells at a body on the bed._

_Aya stands up and walks toward it. "Bobby... Jackie..." She looks on the bed to see herself. The not-awake Aya is shaking and crying silently, fists clenching Jack's and Bobby's hands. "Mom, what is this?"  
_

_"You have to wake within the next eighteen hours or you won't wake up. Your brain waves are going crazy, but the doctors aren't sure what's wrong. These two aren't supposed to be here, but... they aren't leaving their sister." Andrea looks at Aya. "Question is, will she leave them?"_

_"I don't want to," Aya admits. "How do I stay?" Andrea gestures to the body._

_"Go back to her."_

* * *

Aya opens her eyes, sitting up and gasping for breath. Jack and Bobby both jump, staring at her like she's a dream. She lifts a hand shakily, staring at it, unable to quite comprehend what's happening to her. What happened. Jack smiles, laughing happily as he draws her into his arms. Bobby laughs, taking both of them in.

Aya smiles happily as Angel and Jerry and Evelyn come into the room, both boys practically pouncing on her while Evelyn smiles her approval.


End file.
